How Bright Their Frail Deeds
by BeingLolaStar
Summary: Sequel to A Million Reasons Why. Daryl and Grace might have been forced by circumstance to admit that they're more than friends but the end of the world has been anything but a smooth journey. Daryl and Merle are still finding their place and Grace is still grieving. Sometimes it's not just walkers that can tear people apart.
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction:  
**

The following story is a sequel to my story A Million Reasons Why. That story covers preshow events as well as includes my adaptation of season 1 cannon. I believe that in order to no be confused by this story you will need to have the information from that one. I highly suggest that you read it first.

The title of this story is adapted from the Poem _Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night_ by Dylan Thomas, which is also referenced in the first story.**  
**

**Chapter One**

They drove away from the carnage of the ruined CDC building knowing that everything in the area would be drawn to the wreckage.

Dale pulled the RV in the first spot in line but he immediately brought it to a gentle stop. Shane, Andrea, Glenn, T-Dog, and Claire had all piled into the motor home. The more people they could fit in fewer vehicles, the better. Rick had his own car full with his family and the Peletiers. Though they had no extra passengers, the back of Daryl's truck was packed full - still holding all the bags that had been hastily rushed out of the doomed building. Daryl might have chosen to let his brother have the bike back so he could drive in the truck with Grace, but he didn't seem to even be paying any attention to her. It was a long ten minutes of silence before Rick's signal on the horn brought the convoy to a stop.

Merle circled back around to Daryl's side of the truck and hopped off his bike. His face was streaked with dirt but his smile was gleaming. Everything fell into place for Merle when he got his way and being on the back of that bike was just one more thing going right for him.

Shane and Rick were holding some sort of conference off to the side of the RV. They nodded back and forth until finally Rick raised a hand and beckoned everyone over.

"So I've talked it over with Shane and we've decided…"

"Wait up there Officer Friendly," Merle shook his head. "I ain't exactly too sure about any decisions you two is makin'. Last one didn't turn out so well, what with us nearly bein' blown up an all."

"Fair enough." Rick nodded. "All I was saying is that we need to regroup before we make any final decisions on what our next move as a group is. We need somewhere safe with food, water, and shelter for tonight and then we'll figure out where we go from there." He tipped his head at Merle, not the slightest bit of a smile on his face.

Shane was smirking though, his voice mocked the older Dixon when he spoke, "That good enough of a plan for you?"

Merle glared but stood his ground, "Sounds fair enough for now. I'll let ya know if ya start fuckin' things up."

"Just where are we planning on going though?" Andrea spoke up. "We're nearly out of fuel. We can't make it too far on what we've got. We could split up what's in the RV's tank but even then it's not going to get us all very far. "

"We'll find some place close by, just for now." Rick agreed. "Then we'll figure out how to move on." He turned to Carol who was hugging her daughter tightly to her body and standing at a distance from the rest of the group. "Carol says she knows a place that might be safer."

Lori shifted to stand beside the other woman, patting her shoulder to encourage her to speak up.

"There's a housing development." She whispered. "Probably five minutes from here. We had to drive past it on the way to my aunt's house. I used to take Sophia there on rough weekends." Carol blushed, realizing just how much she was admitting. "They'd only been working on it for a few weeks."

"Yer point?" Daryl butted in.

"They've only got the show house finished. No one's moved in yet. The site was probably abandoned." The grey haired woman held her head up proudly.

The cogs of the group's minds were turning. All around, people looked from one set of hopeful eyes to the other. No one having moved in meant a good chance that there wouldn't have been many people stuck there to turn. Most people would have stopped coming to work when things got bad. These houses could be the answer to what they were looking for. Any houses they found would have to be thoroughly searched, but these ones may still be completely free of walkers.

"We should make this place our goal for tonight." Rick swept his gaze across the faces in front of him, looking for protest. No one spoke up so he continued, "We make sure one house is cleared out and secured. Board up the ground floor windows that need it and sleep upstairs. Tomorrow we look for supplies."

"Everyone good with that?" Shane stood tall, eyes trying to target any protesters in the group. When the murmurs that came back to him were all positive, he nodded his head once stiffly. "Rick drives first." He cuffed Rick's shoulder. "Seein' as he's got Carol in the car and she knows where we're going."

Dale nodded. "Rick first and then I'll follow behind just in case anywhere is too tight of a squeeze for the RV. The faster we find out, the faster we can turn around."

Everyone piled back into the vehicles, the convoy rearranging itself so that Rick and the RV switched places. Merle's bike fell behind the truck. Grace imagined his jaw twitching with being the last one in line, but he hadn't voiced his disgruntlement. Maybe he was tired of fighting or just too weak from recovering from his roof ordeal. She made a mental note to check to see if he was getting enough water when they stopped.

Carol was right about the subdivision. The billboard out front announced an open house scheduled for the weekend of August 11th, a date which had passed over a month ago. The street was completely paved and a second billboard showed a basic map of the lots available. Aside from the mostly completed home right at the mouth of the cul-de-sac, there were only four foundations and the framing for the garage on one of them. The middle circle in the concept art boasted a leafy park and playground complete with frolicking children and a dog catching a Frisbee. Mostly though, the area was sand and parked equipment, with the occasional clump of scraggily, knee-high, yellow grass.

The area seemed completely empty though. Totally abandoned. It would probably be safe for overnight, but if the walkers started moving away from the populated areas of the city the same way they had stumbled upon the camp, then it could be just as dangerous too.

The group pulled up in front of the show home, which had a driveway with paving stone and elegant accents. These were designed to be beautiful homes. The garage door from one of the units was opened, clearly showing extra building supplies and a makeshift table with some chairs around it. The other two were closed though, which made it a guessing game between the second and the first unit for which ones were completed enough for them to stay in.

The single building was made up of three, three story townhouse units. The ground floor was the garage door and had a separate door for entrance but the main door to the house was on the second story. The front of each second story was taken over by a covered porch and leading to it was a wooden staircase with sturdy looking railings . The third floor seemed to be living space as well.

"This it?" Merle called out as Rick started getting out of the car.

"I would prefer if you didn't shout just yet." The officer grimaced. He was gripping his gun, scanning the area for any signs of movement. "We have no idea what could be hiding out of sight."

Shane gave the older Dixon a death glare. "We search the house before anyone makes any moves."

"And then I can holler as much as I damn well please?"

"We'd prefer if you didn't." Rick frowned.

"Only messin' wit' ya!" Merle laughed. "Le's check this place out." He swung his leg over the seat and got off the bike. A quick snap of the bungee cords and his rifle was free and ready to go.

"Goin' ta check it out, a'right?" Daryl spoke without looking at Grace, simply picking his gun up off the seat and sliding out of the cab, clicking the door closed behind him.

"What's the plan Rick?" Glenn was clutching his gun to his chest like it was a life vest.

"Looks clear enough out here but we should split up and get the houses covered as quickly as possible. I want someone staying behind with the vehicles though, just in case."

"Daryl an' I'll take one place and make sure it's clean. Let the porch-monkey sit out here." Merle smirked. "Figure tha's where he belongs an' all."

"Fuck you, you white trash piece of shit!" T-Dog growled, his fists balling at his sides. "I wouldn't go any place with you anyways. Almost got us killed once. That's enough for me."

"You wanna take me?" Merle tipped his head as if actually considering it for a moment, when that moment was up though, he shrugged and chuckled.

"I'll stay." Dale shouldered his weapon. Clearly trying to break the tension. "I don't fancy searching around in there but I'll stay out here and keep watch."

"Ain't worth shit on the bottom my shoe." Merle spat, missing by a good foot, which meant he wasn't trying. Stone cold sober, he could hit a fly at that distance. "Come on Darylina. I figure we take that one right there." He pointed to one of the three units that was furthest from the open garage door unit. "Any complaints?"

"You come out if you find _anything_." Rick hissed, his sheriff's hat low over his eyes. "Anything in there belongs to the group. It's not first come first serve."

"Whatever," The older Dixon flipped the officer the bird and nudged his brother. "Le's go!"

Daryl fell into step behind his brother, crossbow at the ready. Everyone watched as the Dixon brothers chose the door that lead into the garage over the door up the stairs. Merle tested the knob and, seeming to find it locked, he flicked open his pocket knife. A bit of wiggling and he twisted the knob again and this time, the door swung in. Weapons raised, the brothers cautiously entered the building. When nothing happened for a few tense moments, Shane elbowed his partner.

"Glenn comes with me. You take T-Dog. Which house do you want?"

Rick nodded, "We'll take the open garage." He looked to T-Dog to check that his choice was alright. T-Dog just shrugged, he was still glaring hard at the spot where Merle had vanished inside.

"Middle's for us then man. Come on!"

Rick and Shane walked up to their respective houses, cautious but determined. Shane signaled with his hands like he was in some sort of Hollywood flop of an army movie and poor Glenn tried his best to not look like he was planning on shitting himself. Rick and T-Dog moved together with more ease and had no trouble getting into their own house, but Shane needed to imitate Merle's action of popping open the lock with a knife. Unlike Merle though, it took him a good couple of minutes. Grace sat in the truck and tried to fight back her laughter.

She waited until all three search teams were in their respective houses before letting herself out of the truck. Dale had taken up his post beside the RV and was watching the area. He smiled as she approached.

"Don't think Daryl would want you out of the truck." The old man's lack of concern wasn't even hidden. He actually seemed to find the whole thing a little amusing.

"He didn't tell me to stay in there so I think I'm alright."

Dale laughed, "He probably figured you wouldn't leave. What are you doing all the way over here? Just come for a chat?"

"Nah, I want to go check on Andrea. She seemed very shaken after…" ...After the CDC, after her attempted suicide by exploding building, after Dale forced her to leave with him. Grace shrugged. "I just figured she might want the opportunity to talk with someone who wasn't involved. Neutral parties and all that."

"Aren't you worried about the search? Who knows what they'll find in there." Dale seemed to want to press her on the subject but Grace shrugged him off.

"They can handle themselves. Anyway, Merle picked the unit he figured would be the least work. Rick's got the dangerous job. That man has a hero complex. I bet Lori's freaking." They looked over to the car that the Grimes family had driven in. Carol sat in the back seating talking with Carl and Sophia, apparently keeping them amused. The back windows were cracked just a little. The window on Lori's side was sealed tightly. She sat stiffly, eyes locked straight ahead, not sparing a single glance at the house where her husband was. "She's not very good at coping with this life is she?"

Dale frowned, "It's got to be rough on her. Losing him and then getting him back, only to have him go off all the time."

Grace shook her head. "It might be rough but she needs to learn how to cope with it. She's not doing anyone good acting the way she is. Least of all Rick and Carl." The past few weeks hadn't been easy on Lori Grimes but some of that was her fault. That woman wore rose-coloured glasses full time and anytime something started to cloud them up, she would lock down and drink a big glass of denial. It was like she had an inability to deal with reality. If Rick's personality and Lori's reactions to him running off all the time were anything to go by, this wasn't a new problem in their relationship. It was probably difficult to see him risking himself so soon after rejoining his family, but Lori needed to stop making such a big deal out of it. If she wasn't careful, she'd drive him away again. They had been fighting this battle since well before the world ended and now that it had, Lori was rigidly determined that not only would they all be saved, but when they were rescued, everyone would go back and live together in Stepford.

The thought of Merle settling down and living in a house with a white picket fence - maybe even wearing a tie to work, made Grace laugh. Maybe the whole lot of them could live in a magical land of fairies and unicorns too. It seemed that that was what Lori wanted and maybe Dale was getting in on her plan.

"I think you should give her the benefit of the doubt." Dale said slowly, the wrinkles on his face deepening.

"She's still got to learn. I think we all figured out this morning that we've only got ourselves to rely on." Her next words came out sounding a lot harsher than she had meant them to. "We're only as strong as our weakest link."

* * *

Andrea was curled up on one of the back beds pretending to read when Grace entered the RV. Grace watched the other woman for a moment. The blonde stared down at the page, not blinking, her eyes never shifting, and the pages never moving. Wherever she was, it wasn't in that story.

"Knock, knock." Grace tapped lightly on the counter next to the door so she didn't startle Andrea too badly, but the other woman jumped anyway, dropping her book onto the floor.

"Shit." She muttered, reaching down to grab it. "Hey Grace."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine." Andrea brushed her off. "I zoned out. How long have they been in there?"

"Not long. I figured I'd come keep you company. I feel like I haven't seen you since camp."

Andrea's face fell, "Yeah camp…" Her eyes were blank again, lost in wherever she had been when she was pretending to read. The bed she was on was her own. There were a pile of duffle bags and cleaned bedding on the other one - the one that had been Amy's, the one Jim had been put on. Grace wondered if Andrea had really acknowledged what had happened to her sister before seeing the footage on the screen that morning. The way her voice broke when she announced that Jenner had shot his patient in the head said she hadn't. Andrea was a survivor and an adaptor but that didn't mean she was adapting quickly enough.

"What's the book about?" Grace switched the subject. If she wanted Andrea to feel comfortable, then she couldn't force her to talk about Amy's death or Andrea's bid for death that morning.

"It's a spy mystery novel. Not going to spoil it for you, but I'm putting money on Cassandra hooking up with Ethan Teller."

Grace couldn't help the small snort of laughter, "One of those."

"Yeah, Dale might have had deep taste in books but his wife liked trashy 25 cent Harlequins."

Now Andrea was joining in on the laughter. Grace walked to the back of the RV and pushed aside a small amount of things and sat delicately on the other bed, gauging Andrea's reaction. When the blonde made no move to stop her, Grace settled in. "Let's see it." She held her hand out for the book and Andrea passed it over. Grace scanned the back cover. "I bet if we had more alcohol we could make a drinking game for these. That's what we used to do in high school. Come on, I'll read a chapter then you can."

The blonde nodded, giggling. "We should get the rest of the women in on this once the kids are in bed. It'll be a riot."

* * *

Rick's house, though it seemed the most dangerous what with the garage door being opened and the house itself unlocked, was declared safe first. Rick and T-Dog appeared a little bit dusty, but without any news of walkers in the house. The only thing they had found was a small calico cat, but hadn't been able to catch her. The house itself was barely finished and the garage had clearly been some sort of staff room. The water cooler and two replacement bottles were about as much supply-wise that the house offered.

The middle unit was closer to being completed completed, almost entirely done with paint, trim, and tiles all in place. Shane and Glenn boasted about their find. In their unit, it was much easier to see what the lay out for the houses was supposed to be. The kitchen, living room, and dining room downstairs with bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs.

When Glenn had stopped hopping around with excitement, he was the one to point out that Daryl and Merle weren't back yet. There hadn't been any movement from the final unit since the brothers had walked through the door.

"What'd you want to do, Rick?" Shane smirked. "Seems they've probably found somethin' and don't want to share it with the rest of us."

"And just what proof do you have of that?" Grace rolled her eyes. "They've shared pretty much everything with the group so far, haven't they? Merle was the one who told you about the MREs they managed to get out of the CDC. He could have kept them a secret."

"Grace is right Shane." Rick shook his head at his partner. "There's no reason for us to assume the worst about the Dixons until they give us reason to."

"Do you think something's happened to them?" Dale worried. "It's been an awfully long time."

"They would have shouted or something," Rick looked at Grace. "Wouldn't they?"

Now Grace was starting to feel nervous. Why was it taking so long for them to come back? What if something had happened to them and it was too quick for them to make a commotion. Both of them though? What could get both of them without something causing a ruckus? "I'd hope so."

The officer scowled at the house, seeming to try and figure out what to do. "Shane," he stared. "Do you want to come in with me? We'll see what's keeping them."

Shane grunted, "If they got themselves bit, I want a shot at puttin' down Merle. Asshole." The end part was an added mutter but it didn't sit well with Grace. Luckily, no one had a chance to react to anything that may or may not have been heard because the front door flew open. And Daryl stepped out. Even from as far away as the rest of the group was, Daryl smile was clear.

"Those other places clear?" He called down.

"Yeah," Rick called up. "We got them searched. Nothing of merit."

"Well, I think y'all better check this place out. We're sleepin' in this one!" Daryl ducked back into the house, clearly excited over whatever it was that he'd discovered.

Grace immediately began walking to the house, frankly not caring if anyone was following her. If Daryl said it was safe, it was safe. There was no way he'd let her walk into something dangerous.

"Grace?" Shane called, he actually seemed nervous.

"I'm going to see what's got Daryl so excited." She'd made it to the stairs and took them carefully even though they were sturdily made and clearly brand new. The front door was still open when she reached it and she walked in without a second thought. The front window was large and let enough light into the room that there wasn't much concern for how shadowy it was inside.

"Welcome to Casa de Dixon." Merle was lounging on a huge fluffy L-shaped couch; his boots kicked off and laying on the floor so he didn't get dirt on the fabric.

"There's furniture."

"Every damn room." Daryl smiled, grabbing Grace around the waist. "I figure we take out those stairs and park the RV right in front so nothin' can get into the garage and we're sealed up tight in here."

"They got beds Gracie." Merle drawled. "Real fuckin' beds. Not cots, not couches - real mattresses."

"So what's got Dixon's panties up his ass?" Shane squinted into the dark but didn't step through the doorway.

"This one is staged." Grace laughed, leaning against Daryl's chest, her own arms wrapped around him tightly. "We can sleep inside on something soft and we don't have to worry about blowing up while we sleep."

"No shit." He stepped forward, tugging off his hat in the process and mussing his hair. "Well, I'll be damned. Rick!" He shouted outside. "Get in here!"

The footfalls on the stairs seemed hurried and when Rick burst through the door, it was clear he thought he was coming to the rescue. "What's going on?" He gazed around the room dazed. "Shane?"

"It's staged Rick. Set-up like an honest to goodness house." Shane grabbed his best friend's shoulder. He was grinning almost frighteningly large.

"Beds?" Rick asked, the excitement building.

"A couple upstairs." Merle nodded. "We get a room." He sat up straighter. "Daryl, Grace an' I get one uh the rooms."

"I think we can work that out when we…"

"Nope," the older Dixon grunted. "We get pick."

"Merle," Grace turned to him, shaking her head. "Don't push it."

He sat up fast, planting his feet on the floor and challenging her with a glare. "Listen here sweetie, we searched the house, we get ta pick. You just need to sit back an' enjoy the perks." Merle rolled his eyes, "We'll take the small room if yer so worried."

Grace chewed her bottom lip but Merle seemed firm. "Fine," She spat out. "But I don't like you pushing people around all the time."

He just winked, "Jus' takin care uh my family Carter. Ask Daryl. Dixons take care uh our own."

* * *

Behind the garage was an unfinished bonus room which held the stairs to the rest of the house, the second floor was the main living area and had a large kitchen with space for a breakfast nook, a dining room, and a living room all designed with big open arches between them. A smaller room off the kitchen was set up as an office and there was a small powder room as well. The door on the office had been locked and, judging by the boot print, it looked like the brothers had kicked it in.

The door to the outside from the kitchen led onto a back deck and into a fenced backyard. Someone had put down sod, but the grass squares were almost entirely dead and brown now. There was no way out of the yard other than into the house though and if these houses were all entirely safe, then the kids would have a place to play outside that required almost no supervision.

Upstairs were three bedrooms, a laundry closet, and two bathrooms. The bathroom in the master was only half tiled and there were no handles on any of the doors, but it was spacious enough and the hardwood floors were cleaned.

Grace did insist on them taking the smallest of the bedrooms though and Merle chuckled at her right up until she was standing in the doorway. The room was clearly supposed to be the children's room, with two single beds, one pressed to either wall with matching end tables and dressers. The room itself wasn't that small but the theme was bold.

Still laughing, Merle tossed his bag onto the left bed. "That one's mine. I like monkeys." He winked. "Welcome to the jungle princess." He didn't stick around for her reaction, but Grace was sure he was rolling around chuckling at them sleeping in a kids' room.

Even Grace couldn't deny the humour in their situation. The entire room was designed around jungle animals and foliage. The bed that Merle had chosen boasted a leaf printed bedspread and three monkey stuffies. The one she and Daryl would be stuck on had a tiny elephant and giraffe. As far as children's bedrooms went, it was actually sort of cute, but the thought of sharing the room with Merle and Daryl seemed like a practical joke.

"Should have listened to Merle, now shouldn't ya?" Daryl seemed to have picked up on his brother's good mood about sleeping arrangements.

"Oh shut-up." She rolled her eyes. It wasn't that bad really. At least they had a bed. Rick, Lori, and Carl were in the master because the bed was large enough to fit all three of them. Carol and Sophia had the bed in the other room with Andrea and Claire sleeping on the floor. Downstairs, one arm of the couch was claimed by Dale and the other was a fight between Shane, T-Dog and Glenn. It seemed that Glenn was winning because the last Grace had seen it, his stuff was on it.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into the back of her neck. Since their fight about birth control that morning, he'd pulled back a little and now it seemed like he was trying to make up for it. Or maybe he was just hoping she would forget about the whole situation. This little bit of affection away almost enough to make her think that they might be okay. Whatever was going on between them, she didn't need to start a fight about it when things were going well.

"Shouldn't you go help your brother take down those stairs?"

Rick had agreed with the brothers about taking down the stairs to help secure the place. Merle was demanding that they park his bike inside as well but Rick had convinced him that the bike could go in the back room. It barely fit through the doorway into the bonus room, but it managed. The fewer people it looked like they were housing, the better. Daryl had parked his truck in the garage next door and Rick backed the Cherokee into the garage. Until they got the stairs out of the way, there wasn't much else they could do to secure the building.

Carol and Lori had taken Claire and the kids into the backyard to let the children run around and Andrea was inside sleeping on her mattress from the RV which had been carried inside by Shane. There wasn't enough water for washing up and no one wanted to separate to look for further supplies, so Grace found herself sitting in the doorway of the garage, curled up on a pile of blankets and reading one of Dale's wife's trashy romance novels. There must have been fifty of those stupid books in a cardboard box tucked under the beds in the RV. Grace had never been big on them before, but now anything to pass the time seemed like a good idea. Reading kept her out of Merle and Daryl's way but still allowed her to be close.

She had tried to bring up their fight and Daryl had bolted, making an excuse about bringing things in from outside. Now she had to bide her time and wait for a moment when he couldn't escape her.

Daryl and Merle were working hard on removing the staircase one piece at a time so they could cut the wood down to size and use it for a small camp fire in the backyard. The MREs that the brothers had taken from the CDC had flameless heaters but they also needed to be activated by water and that was in short supply. The less they had to use up the better.

As Daryl carried another armload into the garage past her, he gave her a small wary smile. They still needed to talk about what had happened that morning at the CDC but there hadn't been time to slip away for a private moment. Both of them could feel it though. Daryl was carrying himself stiffly and Grace's stomach kept doing back flips. How serious Daryl had taken it had startled Grace. They'd always been a bit lax on birth control, more out of trust than anything else.

Sure, before everything went to hell Grace had been on the pill, but she'd been on it since college and with all her previous relationships it had always been about doubling up with condoms and even then still panicking over her period. With Daryl, there had been no pretense about children - they were simply not an option, but there had also not been a panic until the possibility that there would be one. They'd either forgotten or just not cared enough to use condoms more so than not. A couple of times, she had taken the morning after pill a when she forgot to take her pill and she'd even told Daryl about it. But whatever was happening in his head when he woke-up and saw that condom box still sealed had obviously shaken him. She just needed to figure out what _exactly_ had happened.

There wasn't a moment of peace until just after dinner. In the dining room, Rick had laid out the maps from the camper on the table and they were plotting routes, both for their eventual departure and for a short trip that Glenn wanted to make to a nearby strip mall he had spotted. They were hoping there would be cars in the parking lot they could get gas from at least and maybe even some other supplies. Claire was sitting nervously as near as she dared. Grace was having fun watching the teen cast sidelong glances at Glenn, blushing furiously the whole time and trying to hide her spying in a book. In the kitchen, Lori and Carol had set up the kids for a quick school lesson; it was a chore that had been ignored for the past few days. Merle had decided they needed to fix the hole in the railing where the stairs had been, in case some idiot stumbled out there in the dark. Daryl seemed to be doing pretty well at keeping them close to the group and Grace wasn't planning on blabbing about their secret fight in front of everyone. For once though, he was nowhere to be seen, having slipped away while she was watching Claire. Even if he was just out for a pee, this was the moment that she had been waiting for.

Grace motioned to Carol that she was going upstairs in case anyone wondered, and went to find Daryl. She checked their room first to make sure that he hadn't simply hidden on her. He wasn't in their room but she did hear noise in the backyard. Daryl stood in the back corner splitting wood, probably taking out his frustration on the lumber they had salvaged from the dismantled porch stairs. This was her opportunity. She walked all the way down to the basement hoping that using the bottom door would give her the advantage of surprise. When she opened the door and he was still turned away from the house, she felt relieved. Things couldn't have been easier if she had planned them. Creeping across the yard, she snuck up on him. She knew it was playing dirty and probably not safe to sneak up on Daryl while he was swinging an axe, but she needed to get him alone to talk and here he was, all on his own. She gave him fair warning before she got too close though. It did her no good to have finally gotten him on his own if he turned around and took her head off with an axe.

Pushing as much false calm into her voice as she could, Grace called out to him when she found herself between him and his escape route, but not close enough that Daryl could accidentally swing around and hit her out of shock.

He did give a little jump as he spun to face her. Daryl's expression changed quickly from murderous to a more neutral one when he saw it was Grace. "Grace, what're ya doin' out here?"

"Thought I'd keep you company." She tried lying.

Daryl narrowed his eyes as if her were reading into her mind. "No ya ain't. Ya know damn well I don't need no one ta keep me company." He set the axe down on its head and crossed his arms. "What's really goin' on?"

Grace sighed. She had to expect that the last person she could hide anything from was Daryl. He knew her probably better than anyone and he could sniff out a liar in seconds. He prided himself on being as honest as he could be and he expected the same from everyone around him. "I think we should talk."

He snickered and quirked an eyebrow, "Ya know there might not be too many guys left alive, but we still never wanna hear those words come out uh our women's mouths."

"I'm serious Daryl." She shoved her hands in her pockets nervously. "Look, last night was a mistake, but we've got to talk about that. It hasn't been that long since the miscarriage," Grace swallowed around the word, "but I think we need to start talking about it, because it did happen. We've barely discussed it and clearly we're handling it differently. "

"No." He gave her his back and picked up the axe again.

"No?" She had expected more fight, more confrontation, not a total shut down. "I really think we need to talk about this."

"And I don't. Git back in the house."

"No," She spoke just as firmly as he did, her hair flipping as she shook her head. "I'm not letting this one go. I'm probably not, but what if I am pregnant? What are you going to do then Daryl? Huh? Are you just going to take off? I thought with the last one, that I could just go get it taken care of when we got rescued if we weren't going to go through with it. We're not getting rescued though. This is it. Unless I find a pharmacy around here somewhere, if I'm pregnant, you're going to have to deal with it. I can't exactly go down to Planned Parenthood, so I'd sort of like to know what I'm getting myself into so I can better prepare myself."

Daryl's jaw went slack and he sort of sputtered. "What're ya goin' on 'bout now?"

Grace stood up a little straighter, her fear taking over and spilling out violently. "If you're going to run out if I am pregnant, then I'd rather know now so I can prepare myself. It'll suck, but I'd rather know what the outcome is going to be."

"Grace," Daryl dropped the axe and stepped toward her. "I wasn't never plannin' on leavin' you if you did get knocked up. That weren't what I was talkin' 'bout this mornin'."

"Sure sounded like it." Her voice cracked and her next breath as shaky. "It was a mistake."

"I know it was." Daryl's face contracted with concern. "Fuck, come'ere." He reached out and pulled her into him roughly, her face rubbing against his shirt. "What happened last night ain't just on you. That's my fault too."

"I'm not blaming you." She sniffled. "I didn't come out here to blame you."

"I know ya didn't, but ya said ya wanted to know." He pulled her away from his chest so he could look at her. "It weren't just you that lost that kid." Daryl closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Still with his eyes closed, he spoke honestly, "It hurt like hell losin' tha baby. Hurt just as bad leavin' tha spot behind. It didn't take me no three hours ta find a bunch uh grapes."

"You went back?"

"Ta the grave? Most days. 'Fore you got up an' woulda noticed me missin'. I'd go out there an' think. Just long enough ta have a smoke or sharpen my knife."

The tears in her eyes spilled over at that. To her it was a hole in the ground that held lost potential but to him, it was a grave. She had never buried the baby, instead, Grace carried that child with her everywhere she went. The idea, the potential, the imaginary future where Daryl would proudly show off the baby even if he looked a little squished and Merle said the baby sort of looked like it had got his eyes and maybe Grace should confess their affair but she'd just punch him on the arm and say that they were Dixon eyes and Daryl had them too. Her family. All four of them together. She held onto that in the hope that one day, somehow, she would have that.

"Damn it!" Daryl tugged her back against him. "Ya don't gotta cry over it."

"You wanted the baby?"

"'Course I did!" He seemed offended. "Don't ya remember me tellin' ya that?"

"I guess. You seemed so angry about it though. Mad that something bad could have happened to me and then you said no more kids. I figured you just accepted it because it happened." She shrugged. "That it was just making the best of a mistake."

"Don't say that." He snapped. "Our kid won't never be a mistake. An accident maybe, but not a mistake. I ain't gonna regret our kid. Nobody deserves that. But that don't mean I want to jump into havin' kids right away. I wanna make sure ya ain't gonna die first."

"Daryl, I'm not going to die."

"Oh yeah? What about last time?"

"All sorts of things could have gone wrong last time. For whatever reason my body wasn't ready to carry the baby." She sighed. "I wonder if it wasn't for the best. I wasn't exactly careful with what I was doing. He could have been born with fetal alcohol syndrome or something."

"Somethin' coulda been wrong?"

"Maybe. We can't tell. There was no way to run tests when he happened. A lot of times they just die because they're not viable." Grace pressed her face against his shirt, mumbling the words, "I should have been more careful."

"Don't." Daryl shook her a little, "Weren't yer fault no matter what happened. See this is why I don't want ta have ta worry about this shit. No kids. I don't want ya all fucked up again. Then there's the nearly dying part."

"I wasn't dying."

"Seemed like it. Never wanna fuckin' go through that again. If we're stuck out here there's no place ta take ya if somethin' goes wrong. What the hell are we supposed ta do exactly?"

"Not every pregnancy ends in miscarriage."

"So things get better when yer pushin' the damn thing out? Don't think so. Then yer dead and I'm stuck with a defective kid."

"Women have babies all the time without medical intervention. Yes there's risk, but it's not uncommon."

"A'right." Daryl nodded stiffly. "I still don't want to have ta worry 'bout ya more than I gotta. We ain't having kids right now."

Grace shook her head, "Not right now, no, but in the future, maybe?"

"What'd ya want me to say, Carter? That havin' a kid scares the fuck outta me? 'Cause it does. I worry about losin' ya or somethin' goin' wrong with a baby or us fuckin' it all up after the kid's born. It scares me. I don't wanna risk havin' kids 'cause I don't want what little good I got left to go straight ta hell. There, ya happy now?"

"No," Grace whispered, hanging her head. All she could think about was one day getting a chance to do things right, to carry the baby to term and end up with a little one that was perfect. Not flawed and dead. Daryl clearly was seeing the negative side of things. "I didn't realize..."

"What that I'm a big pussy when it comes ta this shit?"

"Daryl, you don't have to worry though."

"Ya get why I am though, right? This world, bringin' a kid into it will get ya killed. I'm not riskin' yer life over no kid."

"I'm fine." Grace reassured, hugging him tightly. "It was terrible, but I'm alright now and I'll probably be fine if I get pregnant again."

"An' if you ain't that's on me fer gettin' ya knocked up in the first place. My fault 'cause I couldn't control myself enough ta use a damn condom. That's on me." He was growling now, breathing hard with the tension of his admission.

"We don't know if I'm not pregnant right now though. We can worry about things like that when we get there, can't we? We don't have to live perpetually terrified that something is going to go wrong. If it happens it happens, but we won't panic until then alright."

"I guess. Still gonna worry though."

"That's okay, I worry too but I worry more about losing this. Please, just, if something upsets you, just promise you'll tell me instead of freaking out?"

Daryl sighed. "I'll try. Can't offer you more than tryin'." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

* * *

The next morning wasn't the wake-up Grace had expected after her and Daryl had finally talked. First, there was the awareness that she was too hot, the tingling feeling of sweat beading across her skin. They had slept with the window open, but there wasn't much of a breeze to bring relief. The air felt heavy. Not to mention Daryl was uncomfortably close to her, the single bed meant she had fallen asleep – quite comfortably at the time - draped across his chest with his arms around her, but now the vice-like grip was just making her more aware of how sweaty she felt. As she shifted, trying to get comfortable without waking him up, she noticed Merle's snoring. The loud rumble from the other bed drove right into her bones. She wanted to throw something at him, but the only thing she could reach was the pillow under Daryl and she doubted he would appreciate that wake-up.

It seemed like a waste. Here she was, able to sleep in a proper bed for the first time in weeks and she was wasting it being awake. Grace sighed, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against Daryl's chest. She was so close to him that she could feel his heartbeat vibrating his skin, his rhythmic breathing lifting her just a little bit. She slowly relaxed again, letting herself just enjoy the peaceful moment. Even though she would have preferred to still be asleep, it wasn't so bad to lay wrapped up in Daryl's arms, knowing that for once, nothing would be able to get them.

"Yer up, ain't cha?" Daryl's voice above her was gravelly, deep as if he was dragging it out from under something.

She nodded, smiling even though he couldn't see it.

"Fuckin' Merle. Sounds like a goddamn semi drivin' into the house." His arms tightened quickly then relaxed comfortably against her ribs. "An' you, wigglin' like ya think yer gonna get loose or somethin'."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"How's about we not go anywhere together? Mattress is still in the back of the truck." Grace rolled to her stomach, laying flat against Daryl now, their legs tangling together. His hands slid down to her hips, holding her tightly too him and he ground up against her. "What'd you say? Make up for yesterday's wake-up?"

"Alright." She smiled down at him. "But be quiet. We don't want to wake-up sleeping beauty."

Daryl slid a hand up her back and cupped the back of her neck, forcing her down to his mouth. "He deserves it, all the noise he's makin'."

"Still, I don't want an audience." She gave him a quick peck, pausing slightly longer than she needed. "Come on, before everyone else wakes up."

Grace made a quick stop to the curtained off hole in the backyard before they snuck down to the basement and into the other house where the truck was parked. Judging by the mark on the wall, Daryl had just pissed up against the house. He was standing unashamed next to the wet spot and smoking one of his last few cigarettes. He never smoked around Merle any more. He barely had half a pack left and he wasn't risking having them nicked by his brother.

"Did you piss on the house?" She shook her head in distaste but Daryl's boyish grin was enough to make her smile too.

He put his cigarette out and tucked the unsmoked half back into his pack. "Yeah. Was I supposed ta wait for the hole or somethin'?"

"We're not dogs. Don't pee all over the yard."

Daryl chuckled, "We ain't stickin' 'round long enough for it ta be a problem." He reached out for her, wrapping his fingers around the tops of her arms. Grace snuggled into his chest. "Relax a'ready." He kissed the crown of her head, rubbing her arms and shoulders to ease the tension.

"Don't rub your gross piss hands all over me." She swatted playfully at his hands and attempted to push him away, which just made him hold her tighter. He chuckled darkly, tickling her ribs and running his hands all over her. Grace couldn't help but start to relax. They were going to be alright.

"Come on." He tugged her into the shadows of the garage and past the Cherokee. There was no way to see out of the garage, which made it feel a little dangerous to leave. The moment alone with Daryl would be worth it though. Grace stood behind him as he cracked open the door and stuck his head out. When the coast was clear, he moved her around the RV and they ducked into the other house, Daryl using the LED flashlight on his keychain to light the way.

"It's dark in here." Grace tucked herself closer to him. "Makes me worry about running into something."

"Nothin' in here. Wouldn't uh left the truck in here if I thought there was." In the gloom, he pressed his lips to hers, slowly tempting her mouth open. His hands found her ass, holding her tightly against his hips and kneading her through her jeans. When they paused for a breath, Daryl rested his head against hers and kissed her nose. "D'ya really think I'd take ya somewhere that weren't safe?"

"No," she shook her head. "I trust you."

"How much?"

"A lot." Grace pushed his shoulder. "I've always trusted you."

"Yeah," He grinned down at her, stealing another quick kiss. "Missed this." He quietly admitted, snuggling into her. "Shoulda done it this way las' time. Not all drunk, an' shit. Don't have enough control 'round ya ta do it no other way. Ya ain't mad at me fer being so pissy yesterday, right?"

"Not now that we talked." Grace dragged her fingers through his hair, his face pressed against her collarbone. "I just want you to trust me if I'm supposed to trust you."

"Ya scare me more'an those walkers out there." He lifted his head up, blinking slowly at her. The tailgate of the truck was down and he slid her toward it, pushing at her legs with his knees to get her to move backwards until he could lift her up and set her gently on the tailgate. Grace scooted backwards, pulling herself across their mattress so Daryl could follow her inside. The LED wasn't enough and she reached around for the lamp they had left behind. It was already starting to die when she turned it on but there was enough light to throw Daryl's face above her into shadows. Tugging down the strap of her tank top, he opened his mouth against her skin, worshiping her collarbones. She was distracted enough to not even notice Daryl sliding her shirt up her stomach. She never wore a bra to sleep and hadn't bothered to put one on before leaving the house. His right hand clung to the back of her neck while the left found her breast, bringing her nipple to a point and then rolling it between calloused fingers. Releasing his grip on her neck, Daryl tugged her shirt over her head and dropped it beside them.

Taking advantage of the moment of freedom, Grace pulled at his buttons, struggling with them in the poor lighting. When he finally pressed against her again, it was skin on skin, the hair on his chest causing friction between them. Grace found herself sighing against his mouth and Daryl took the opportunity to slide his tongue between her lips, coaxing hers into action. She relaxed further into the mattress, taking all of Daryl's weight with her, wanting to feel every twitch of his muscles and the slide of him against her. Adjusting to the new position, Daryl settled a leg between hers, pressing his thigh against her centre. The pressure made Grace hiss and Daryl pulled back to study her face.

"Ya'll'right?" he worried, eyes squinting.

"Just sensitive," she reassured him.

He pressed again, testing for reaction and she winced. "Yer sore from las' night, ain'tcha?"

Grace reached up and rubbed her thumb over his cheekbones. Smiling softly, she whispered, "Not enough for me to want to stop. Just don't get carried away this time." Leaning up, she captured his lips in another passionate kiss. Just to prove to him that she wasn't too sore, she pressed down against his thigh, grinding in slow circles. Her eyes closed of their own accord and her breath began to catch in her throat.

Daryl growled, "Ya know yer a little tease, right?" Catching her bottom lip between his teeth, Daryl went to work devouring her. Grace's fingers clutched at the back of his neck, just barely brushing through where his hair was starting to get long. She wiggled against his leg, forgetting that she was supposed to be sore and enjoying the reminder that he had forgotten to be gentle with her the night before. Now Daryl took his time, murmuring sounds that never quite formed words gently against her skin. His calloused fingers traced patterns across her skin, never lingering long enough for her to really get used to his touch. His lips were firm though, determined to distract her for anything else she might have on her mind.

"Ya sure 'bout this? Ain't gonna mess ya up or nothing, right?" Grace responded with a smile and sliding her hands down the back of his pants. Shaking his head but clearly amused, Daryl cocked an eyebrow. "That suppose ta be my answer?"

"I was hoping we were going to not talk. Less talking," She leaned up and kissed him, "more doing."

Daryl's answer was to cup her through her jeans, tentatively adding pressure as if unsure of what he was doing. Giving his ass a final squeeze, Grace slid her hands free and wiggled them between their bodies until they covered Daryl's own. Dragging his fingers upward, she pressed them against the button, silently encouraging him. He took complete control then, catching her mouth as he popped the button and slid the zipper down. Graces probably had the pregnancy to thank for the fact that her jeans still fit properly. Andrea had been complaining that she was losing weight and that none of her clothes fit properly, but it wasn't something Grace was struggling with yet. She had never been less grateful for proper fitting clothes when Daryl was slowly dragging hers off. She could just kick herself free from her jeans if they weren't so stuck to her legs. She was just about to demand that Daryl hurry up when she noticed his smirk, he was doing it on purpose.

"Would you stop teasing and just take them off?" Grace snipped. Daryl's smile split across his face.

"Impatient?"

"Very. Pants off. That means yours too." She scolded, fidgeting and attempting to help hurry the process along. Daryl kissed her hipbone and complied, pulling back to undo his zipper. Grace took advantage of Daryl being distracted by taking off his jeans to strip herself completely, tossing her underwear aside. The low growl of appreciation was all Grace needed to know that he had caught the action, but Daryl gave more than that, swooping down and catching her off guard. His tongue met hers before she was ready and he had to coax her into action. Daryl slowly crept his hand between her thighs, stroking the rough pads of his fingers across untanned skin, places high enough that even when she wore shorts, the sun didn't reach them.

He was hesitant when he first slid a finger between her folds, searching her face for discomfort and only moving more when she demanded it. Grace was sure Daryl was terrified of hurting her to the point that they may not even get to the actual sex if she didn't push him. "I'm okay."

"Huh?" He had been so focused on not hurting her that her voice seemed to startle her.

"You're making _me _nervous. Stop thinking so hard." Grace pulled both his hands away from her body. "No touching until you figure out that you actually want to touch me."

Daryl grunted, trying to free his fingers from her grip. "'Course I wanna touch you." Grace shook her head. She knew with him being so gentle, he wasn't going to force her to let go of his hands. He tugged for a moment before changing tactics. Carefully he lowered his mouth, sliding it along her jaw until he got to her ear. "Grace," he breathed. "I wanna touch you." He licked lightly at the shell of her ear, tugging her earlobe between his teeth. "Le'go." He freed his fingers, sliding one hand around the back of her neck and the other back between her legs. This time he didn't hesitate to press the pad of his index finger against her entrance.

Grace sighed, this was much better. Daryl's finger slipped inside her, twisting insistently, letting her relax around the digit as she got used to the intrusion. She couldn't help but let her legs fall open, pressing her hips up and trying to find a better angle. There was a burn sure, but Daryl had nothing to worry about, Grace wasn't planning on stopping him. Her body was already singing and ready for more. She could feel Daryl shift against the mattress, trying not to draw attention to himself so he could focus entirely on her. The hand he wasn't using to finger her massaged her thigh in a careful rhythm.

Giving her a quick glance asking permission, Daryl leaned down to mouth at her stomach. He nosed his way down the skin there, nipping and laving attention over it as he went. Finally he buried his face between her thighs, rubbing his stubble against her curls and inhaling deeply. He was entirely focused on getting her as wet and prepared as possible. Already she was dripping though, wanting more than he seemed ready to give her. Daryl slid a second finger inside her and pumped them in an easy but deep rhythm. He pulled her clit into his mouth sucking gently to match the movement of his fingers. Grace couldn't help but beginning to pant as the pressure began to build, fire starting in her stomach and pooling. The feeling spread like wildfire until the earth itself seemed to orbit around Daryl.

Then suddenly he withdrew, chest heaving and chin wet. He fumbled on the blankets for the box of condoms. Daryl's knees held hers apart as he knelt and ripped the box open. This time they would be sure to use protection. He wasn't going to take a single risk. He upended the box beside them and freed a single package. Grace released her grip on the sheets to reach for him. His breath caught as she circled him lightly with her fingers and ever so slowly slid them up and down. Daryl ripped open the package, tossing the wrapper aside and bringing his hands down to join hers. Together they fitted the latex over his cock and Grace pulled him back down to the mattress with her, taking his full weight.

Daryl rocked against her, the pressure and heat of his cock making her buck back. He kissed her sloppily, nearly missing her mouth the first time his lips connected with her skin. As he licked at the inside of her mouth, Daryl reached between them and fisted himself a few times before lining up against her and giving a gentle thrust. Just the head pressed inside her and she gasped. She was so over stimulated at this point, still tender but practically ready to beg for him to just do something. Grace slid her fingers into his hair, gripping hard and fighting her tongue against his. Daryl grunted and shifted, sliding an inch further forward. In response, Grace spread her legs wider and rocked to take him deeper. Finally taking her cues for what they were, Daryl slid a hand under her thigh and hitched her leg higher, encouraging her to wrap around him. He was gentle, but Grace could feel the tension in his muscles from holding back. Everything about his body thrummed against hers.

"Good," she breathed against his lips, "You feel so good. Need more."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she smiled back and rolled her hips.

Daryl accepted her willingness for more and slid forward to settle himself fully inside her. He barely paused before his control seemed to lapse and he gave a few short thrusts. Grace squeezed him tighter with her legs, clenching around him and bucking. It wasn't long before he was rocking in a hard, steady rhythm and thumbing her clit in small, quick circles. They moved together perfectly, sweat slicked bodies sliding together in perfect rhythm, never needing more than a gentle shift to move differently. They knew each other's bodies so well, the years of familiarity bringing comfort, not boredom. Grace had forgotten how Daryl knew just what she wanted without her to tell him. There was no need for words when your lover was able to predict your every move.

Sensing she needed just the smallest push, Daryl pinched her clit and nipped at her earlobe. Her body screamed, tightening and ready, so close to completion. He drew the small bit of flesh into his mouth and sucked lightly, before nipping again, his fingers moving furiously between them. Grace's breath caught in her throat and she gasped as her body tightened around his. Daryl pulled back out of her nearly all the way before slamming back in roughly. She whimpered as her body contracted and she came around him. Her fingers were locked now as he gave up restraining himself and barreled forward, thrusting hard and sloppy into her. The aftershocks of her orgasm set off little stars behind her eyes as Daryl braced himself and buried his cock deep inside her, groaning out his own release.

It was so dark in the garage that she wondered if maybe they had melted into one being. It felt like it. They sweaty and pressed tightly together making it hard for Grace to tell where he ended and she began. They could just be stuck together like this forever; never having to worry about leaving the other because they were one body. She never wanted to leave him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Grace wasn't sure how much time had passed since they went out to the second garage. Most of the group was probably awake now, wondering where they were and she kept waiting for someone, most likely Merle, to come bursting in, demanding to know why they hadn't told anyone where they were going. Then again, that meant that someone figuring out where they had gone and coming looking for them. It was far more likely that the group would just passively wait in the house for them to return, hoping that something terrible hadn't happened.

His arm thrown across her middle, Daryl rested on his side and snuggled into her, half asleep. Occasionally he'd stir enough to rub his calloused fingers across her stomach or brush his lips on whatever skin he could reach by turning his head. Mostly though, he just laid as close to her as possible. He was sated, completely content, and relaxed. Grace was the one who couldn't settle. She worried about how long they could stay here.

The house seemed safe and there were no signs of walkers, but they couldn't stay. The three jugs of water they had found were enough for a few days with rationing but they couldn't last long without a freshwater source. There wasn't so much as a creek nearby, everything had been leveled to make room for houses. Carol had pointed out a few small stores and a strip mall in the area, but there wasn't much of anything to gather supplies from without travelling and wasting gas. Their small stash of MREs wouldn't hold out either. With fourteen people eating them, the cases wouldn't last long at all. She wasn't sure how many packages there were in each of the cases but they didn't have much more food than they had water. Being so far away from the forest meant that there was no way the brothers could go hunting either. They had been glad that the house was so easily fortifiable, but did it really matter if every time they left it, they risked not being able to make it back?

"Do you think they miss us yet?" Grace wondered and Daryl groaned.

He pressed his face into the side of her chest, "Don't ask that. Makes me start thinkin' we should go back but I don't feel much like movin'."

She laughed and pushed at him. "We need to get going soon."

Daryl huffed, "Prol'ly right. Don't want Officer Friendly showin' up guns blazin' an' findin' us spread out like this. I look like a damn pussycat or somethin'." He smiled, rubbing his stubble covered cheek against her ribs.

Grace smiled back, her hand finding the back of Daryl's neck and petting him lightly there. Fingers tangling in his hair, she tugged at the short strands, "What do you think of Rick anyway?"

"Don't think much on him at all." Daryl replied vaguely.

"Come on, I find that hard to believe. He shows up out of the blue, the only guy to come back from the dead that we welcome with open arms, but he's left Merle on a roof. It's been five days and suddenly he's our leader making all the big choices? How are we supposed to trust him?"

Lifting his head, Daryl squinted up at her, "Where're ya goin' with this?"

"All I'm saying is it seems sort of suspicious that we just give him all the power. What's he done?"

"He's got his damn wife and kid here, Grace. Don't see him leading us too far astray when he's got all that resting on his shoulders. He don't seem like the sort of man ta jus' up an' get his family killed." Daryl looked down at her confused, "Ya don't like him?"

"I like him well enough. I just don't trust him yet." Her head fell back to the pillow and she rubbed at her face absently. "Look, I know you and Merle are thinking there's safety in numbers but we're also a lot more likely to attract attention in numbers. I think we should keep our options open if the floor falls out on this."

"You wanna jus' walk away when the shit hits the fan? Tuck yer tail an' run?"

Grace shook her head, "That's not what I'm saying." She paused. "Okay so it sort of is but I didn't mean it like that. We should get out though if things head south. Maybe offer it up to a few others. I wouldn't want to leave Claire with these people, maybe take Carol and Sophia too. Who knows, maybe Glenn would jump ship and come to our side." She sought out Daryl's hands, twisting their fingers together tightly. "What'd you think?"

Daryl was still squinting at her from chest level, his expression cloudy. "I think we gotta stay for right now."

Now Grace felt embarrassed, he was clearly upset by the conversation. Maybe he felt a lot more strongly about staying with the group than she thought. Somewhere she had overstepped a boundary by mentioning that she thought about leaving the group in such detail. "Sorry." Daryl shushed her though.

"I ain't mad. Jus' worryin' what talkin' 'bout leavin' is gonna do. I want these people on our side, Grace. Don't want 'em thinkin' that if shit gets rough we're abandonin' 'em." He gave her fingers a squeeze. "Think 'bout it like this, ya don't got much uh a reason to trust 'em yet 'cause ya ain't known 'em for long, right? Well they think same damn thing 'bout us. Look at Walsh. He'd uh happily left Merle up on that roof ta rot. He don't give a lick 'bout Merle. Prol'ly not me neither. I don't want that on ya too. I wanna know that if I go off huntin' or whatever, yer gonna be safe when I get back. They gotta learn ta trust us as much as we gotta learn ta trust them. If the shit hits the fan, I'll be watchin' out fer ya and Merle's got his eye on ya too. But don't be jumpin' the gun an' runnnin' off jus' yet. Anythin' happens and Merle and I got cha." Daryl pulled himself above her, holding himself from pressing down too hard by bracing his arms. Gently he leaned down to kiss her. His mouth caught her jaw, working toward her mouth with short quick kisses until his lips were flush against hers. Grace smiled into the kiss, her eyes fluttering shut and her tongue parting her lips to gain access into Daryl's mouth. He met her tongue with passion, letting his commitment to keep her safe be sealed with the kiss.

Grace tried not to worry about what was going to happen when they were forced to leave this place as well. She was beginning to give up thoughts of a home. There was no place left that was perfect. How could they survive any other way than by staying on the move? They had to keep running because if they didn't, sooner or later something would catch up with them.

* * *

Daryl didn't let up on his touchy-feely mood as they walked from the garage where the truck was parked to the garage of the main house. As they walked, he slung an arm around her shoulders, holding her close to him and making sure she never managed to get far. He teased her by tugging on her hair and lightly tickling her as they moved through the darkened garage around the Cherokee. Grace jumped every time he surprised her, still waiting for something to be hiding in the darkness.

"Would you stop?" She batted his hand away as he trailed his fingers down her arm, making her think there was a spider or other insect crawling there.

He just laughed, leaning over to kiss the side of her head and hold her a little tighter. He was having far too much fun since he discovered that she was developing a fear of the dark. "'S'not my fault yer a chicken."

"You're going to give me a complex," Grace pouted. "How am I supposed to feel safe if you keep teasing me? It'll be your fault when I get so twitchy that I smack you by accident."

"Jus' find it funny that yer scared uh the dark."

"Not the dark exactly - the unknown. Who knows what's hiding in the shadows? We don't know if the walkers are smart enough to lurk around and wait for us to come by. What if they're more 'lurkers' than 'walkers'? There could be one hiding around just waiting for the right moment to strike and I don't want to be caught unaware."

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me." He turned, shaking his head at her. "We checked the whole house, top ta bottom." Daryl closed the gap between them and hugged her to his body. "Yer safe. Nothing worse than me lurkin' 'round here." Just as he was bending in to kiss her a deep chuckle broke the silence behind them.

"Nothin' worse 'an you, huh?" Merle stood on the bottom step of the stairs, grinning from ear to ear. "What about me?"

"Ya lookin' ta start somethin'?" Daryl challenged.

"Nah, jus' askin'. Got muh reputation ta uphold. Can't have you challengin' me fer the title uh biggest asshole. We could be the only bastards lef' in this place. I should be a shoo-in." Chuckling to himself, Merle scratched absently at his skull. "One uh the guys who worked here musta smoked 'cause I found a pack an' a half tucked in the office." He stuck his hand into his pocket, pulling out the crushed pack. "Those 're yers." He tossed them at his brother and Daryl reached out and caught them one-handed.

"Thanks." He grunted.

"Whatever. They're lookin' fer ya upstairs. Told 'em ya prol'ly took off fer some alone time. Figured ya'd be back eventually. Ya didn't take food or nothin' with ya. The quiet one with the hair," he gestured to the top of his head. "one who's old man use ta smack her 'round?"

"Carol?" Grace

"Yeah her. She was worried. Pacing in the kitchen like she was gonna wear right through tha floor. Said we should send out a search team but I tol' 'em, 'nah, Daryl can handle his woman on his own'. Smells like ya handled her well enough." Grinning, Merle put a cigarette between his lips. "Anyway, I'm gonna go smoke this outside. They got all huffy 'bout me smokin' in tha house, so they're sendin' me out like a dog. Fuck 'em I say!" He winked and gave a little jump off the stairs. "Come on out if ya want a smoke, Darylina. Ya could prol'ly use one af'er a good roll 'round, heh."

Daryl shifted a little closer to Grace but she pushed him away carefully. "Go," she insisted smiling. "I'll make something to eat. It'll be ready when you come in."

"Are ya sure?" He whispered, glancing nervously at his brother. Merle didn't seem bothered by the wait though – he seemed quite content where he was.

"Yeah, enjoy having a smoke while Merle is willing to share."

He nodded, looking at his brother again, then he turned his full attention to Grace. "A'right, I'll be in in a coupla minutes." Leaning in, Daryl gave her a quick kiss - for once he didn't seem bothered by the possible teasing he would get from Merle. Instead he stroked her cheek lightly and kissed her again. Knowing full well that he was trying to hold off leaving her, but that Daryl also needed to keep things good between him and his brother, Grace stepped back.

"I'll see you in a few." She nodded, turning toward the stairs. Daryl stood awkwardly in the middle of the room for a moment and then turned to follow his brother. Grace waited until the door clicked behind them before walking up the stairs.

The door at the top opened into the kitchen and Carol was standing facing away, sorting through one of the boxes of MREs. Lori had a pile of clothes in front of her dumped out on the kitchen table that she was folding. Grace made sure to close the door loudly enough that she didn't startle them too badly. "Morning," she greeted them.

"Good morning," Carol smiled, "Did you sleep well?" The other woman seemed to trying to pretend like she hadn't been worried sick over them. Her eyes betrayed her relief though.

"Sleep? I'm more curious about where she took off to with Daryl before everyone woke-up." Lori tried to fight back her smile but failed miserably. "Did you have a good time?"

Grace nodded; it felt so normal to be teased over sneaking off with Daryl. Becky had always hounded her for intimate details and Amber was forever making little comments. It was nice having female friends that she could talk with again. Daryl had said she was supposed to try to trust these people. "There are some things that sharing a room with Merle doesn't allow time for."

"I hear you." Lori nodded folding a small polo that probably belonged to her son. "Carl is insisting on sleeping directly between us. It's a big bed but I would like to touch my husband sometime without being elbowed in the spleen."

"Where are the kids anyway?"

"Out in the yard with Claire. There were toys hanging around as part of the staging and she took them out to play with a Frisbee. I told them not to throw it over the fence but we'll see how long that lasts." The mother rolled her eyes. "He'll come crying into the house and want someone to get it back."

Grace nodded, "I'm sure Shane would. He loves Carl." She was so busy trying to see the kids through the back window that she didn't notice how dark Lori's expression was until she turned around. Something was wrong.

"Carl needs to stop taking up so much of Shane's time. I don't like them being so chummy with each other." She frowned, tugging a pair of jeans free from the pile of clothes.

Carol seemed to sense something was off as well, "I don't think he means any harm by it. Shane's a good role model. I'm sure Rick is grateful his friend stepped up the way he did. You two wouldn't be here if it weren't for Shane."

"I know that." Lori hissed, slamming her hands down on the table. "He's not his father though and they both need to figure that out." She frantically ran her fingers through her hair. "We should have brought him with us," the dark haired woman whimpered. "He was alive all this time and I..." Her voice caught in an undignified sob.

"Shhh, it's alright." Carol jumped into action, hurrying to the other woman and rubbing her shoulder soothingly. "Any of us would have done the same thing. You had no way of knowing. I saw Shane's face at the quarry, he thought Rick was dead too."

Grace nodded, "Rick seems like the sort of man who would have wanted you to do whatever it took to keep you and Carl safe. You did that. He's safe and happy and you're all together. Shane and Rick are both good men."

Lori shook her head, "I've done something terrible."

"Carl knows you made a mistake. He's not angry."

The dark haired woman swallowed hard. Wiping the tears from her face. "I know, I just. Uh." She groaned. "I feel as if it would be my own fault now if I lost Rick again. I bring everything on myself. I wish they weren't going to that strip mall."

"We need the supplies." Carol smiled knowingly. "It's hard on all of us but it's a five minute drive from here and they'll be fine."

"I just worry. Why does it always have to be Rick to go? It's always been him and it's already gotten him shot. I don't even want to think of what would happen to him in this world. He'll come back missing a hand one of these days." She sniffed, "always the hero."

"You're lucky to have him back." Grace smiled, feeling a little teary herself. Carol might have been certain that they would have done the same thing as Lori but Grace knew that without Daryl coming to save her, she would have been done for on her own. If anyone but Daryl had walked through that door she would have turned them down flat and she would have been killed with the rest of the town.

"I'm sorry." Lori wiped her cheeks on her wrist. "I just feel so weepy all the time right now. Must be the stress getting to me."

"Just let it out." Carol insisted. "Better to get it out than keep it bottled up inside."

Grace found Merle and Daryl in the backyard tossing rocks at a lined up row of empty water bottles weighed down with sand. She'd seen them do it before, a sort of Dixon family bonding tradition but usually the bottles were beer bottles and the stones were guns. This was much less likely to attract unfavourable attention and waste ammo.

"I brought breakfast." Grace offered when they turned at the sound of her walking down the deck stairs - Daryl grinning, Merle smirking.

"Fuckin' A!" Merle threw a particularly large rock which knocked a bottle into the empty flower bed behind it. "What'd ya bring us?"

"Some sort of maple sausage patty." She shrugged, "Closest thing to 'breakfast' we've got, but there's coffee." She set the three packages down on the patio table. Who ever had staged the home had really gone all out. The backyard would have been beautifully done up with a large grassy area where a pool could have gone and a patio under the deck. In the room where Merle's bike was being stored, they had found boxes of patio furniture and Shane had obviously come through on his offer to set it up so they could use it. There was a beautiful glass top table with six matching chairs and a large umbrella to block the sun. "I saw Carl eating his and if that kid's eating it, it probably doesn't taste half bad." Carl had a reputation about complaining at every single meal, no matter what was being served. He'd slowed down a lot since food had started running out but there was still moments where he could be caught staring at his food as if it had done him wrong.

Grace had brought three of their still good bottles that had been refilled with water so they could heat up and mix together what was in the brown packages. She put those on the table, making out as if setting places with an MRE and bottle in front of three chairs at the table. Daryl went to her first, giving her a barely there kiss on the side of the head as he passed and mumbling thanks before grabbing his package. Merle just headed straight for the food, ripping his open with gusto and dumping it out on the table. The older Dixon plunked himself down in the chair shuffling through his breakfast.

"Tha fucks a 'scone'?" He waved the package around.

"It's like a muffin and a biscuit got busy." Daryl answered and Grace choked out a laugh. He shrugged, "What? I listen to ya sometimes. Yer mum use ta ask fer 'em when she was at General and ya'd sneak 'em in."

"I can't believe you remember that." Grace pulled out a package of what promised to be crackers. There was actually quite a bit of high calorie food in these packages. The night before they'd split them up because some people didn't like certain parts and they didn't want the food to go to waste. She hadn't expected there to be so many different parts to the meals when she first saw the packages. They had chicken and dumplings or beef roast with vegetables which both came with so many little sides that Carol had collected and organized so they could spread them over the day to make the food last longer. She traded the boy's French vanilla cappuccino packages for coffee ones they had saved from dinner. She might have been happy with the sweet drink but Dixons didn't drink bitch coffee. It was black or nothing. Then again Merle was known to steal sugar packages from restaurants the way a small child might.

Grace set aside her sausage patty, crackers, and cinnamon scone for lunch later, keeping the package of granola and opening the chocolate toaster pastry. It wasn't Poptarts but it was closer to what she was used to eating for breakfast. Daryl and Merle had both started with the meat, heating their food with the meal warmers. They were meat and potatoes sort of men even though most of their meals came in Hungry Man packaging.

While everyone else was worried about the limited food stores, Daryl and Merle just sort of brushed it off. Some of the little references the brothers hinted with when others complained about going hungry made Grace's skin crawl. The small pieces of their childhood that she had been able to put together didn't paint a pretty picture and both men bore the physical and emotional scars of their upbringing. To hear them talk so openly about empty stomachs and going to bed hungry was heartbreaking. It was their experiences with going hungry though that saved the group. They knew how to hunt and how to stretch the food so it lasted longer. They could make one of the MREs last a whole day, or even longer, if they needed to.

Despite diving straight for the main course, like Grace the brothers were saving their extras. Scones and crackers were easy enough to stick in a pocket and take with them. To a Dixon, there was no such thing as wasted food. They'd eat anything that came their way if it came down to it, even if they didn't like it. They weren't the ones switching their coffee out. It was something Grace did to treat them because she knew they would never do it for themselves. Andrea on the other hand had been overjoyed by the addition in their breakfast package. To bring her two more might just cheer her up enough to make her forget her sister's death for a while.

"Daryl," Grace asked, breaking through the silence of them eating. "Are you going with them to the mall to look for supplies?"

"Dunno yet." He shrugged, sipping his coffee carefully.

"I'm not saying that I don't want you to go. I'm just asking if you want to. Lori was kicking up a fuss in the kitchen about Rick going and I don't want to be that sort of woman."

"Officer Friendly's wife is a piece uh work." Merle narrowed his eyes.

"I want to slap her sometimes." Grace admitted, the older Dixon grinned. Noticing his expression, she covered her mouth, embarrassed that she had said anything. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah, ya did." All his teeth were showing and he elbowed Daryl, who shoved him back, trying to get back to his meal.

"Fuck off, Merle."

"Yer woman's gonna get inta a bitch fight."

"No she ain't." Daryl shook his head, defending her. "She ain't one uh yer bar whores."

Merle was still laughing at the thought though, finding it hilarious that Grace might get into a fight with Lori Grimes over the way the other woman was acting.

Grace just rolled her eyes even though Merle's teasing was clearly angering Daryl. "I'm not going to fight her." Turning to Daryl she went back to the original subject, "If you want to go with them you can. I'll be alright here for a couple of hours and we need supplies. I don't trust them not to run into trouble with Rick leading them. He's got no clue what's going on in this world yet and someone is going to get killed if it's just him and Glenn going. Glenn may have stealth but he can't make up for Rick's inexperience."

Daryl stuck his spoon into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Would make more sense for me ta go along." He narrowed his eyes, waiting for a catch.

"It would be much smarter." She agreed.

Realizing that she was honestly telling him that he could go, Daryl nodded. "I'll bring it up ta Rick. Sure neither uh 'em's got the sense uh how to get us gas anyway. Way I remember T's tha one been suckin' hoses at camp."

Merle made a gasping sound, nearly choking on his coffee, and this time it was Grace that leaned across the table to smack him.

* * *

To pass the time when Daryl was gone, Grace sat with Carol, Lori, and Claire on the deck overlooking the backyard while Sophia and Carl played below them. This house with all its imperfections really was safe. The CDC had seemed like a wonderful place to stay but it wasn't safe. There was a sense of comfort here even if they knew there was no way to make this spot long term.

It was a short trip. The Cherokee was pulling into the driveway before Grace even had time to really worry. Carol heard the car right away and jumped to her feet. "That's them." The grey-haired woman frowned. "It hasn't been long."

"No it hasn't." Lori shook her head. "Carl," she called down to her son. "Stay in the yard. I've got to go inside for a bit." She turned to Claire, "Do you mind keeping an eye on those two while we go see what happened?"

Claire stood, nodding. "I don't mind." She walked down the steps to settle herself closer to the children. The three remaining women shared a look and all hurried inside to get downstairs as soon as possible.

When they got into the garage, Rick was just pulling the RV in front of the open garage door. Light filtered in around the edges but most of the room was cast into shadows. Merle had beaten them downstairs, he'd taken up a post on the front porch to wait for his brother's return and had probably seen them approaching a long way off, though he'd made no effort to alert the group. He was already helping his brother pull tanks of gas from the back of the car and stacking them along the far wall. They had had a couple of the red plastic containers before they left but they'd obviously managed to get a few more along the way. On the other side of the garage, Glenn was sorting through three large duffle bags of supplies.

"That didn't take long." Grace tried to sound as casual as she could but she was worried.

Daryl grimaced, "Plans changed."

Glenn nodded, clearly shaken. "We got swarmed."

"Oh God!" Carol put a hand over her heart. "You're okay though? No one got hurt."

"Lost half the damn supplies if that's what you call fine." Merle grunted, shaking his head at the bags Glenn was sorting through.

"We didn't have a choice." Frantically, Glenn tried to explain but Merle wasn't hearing it.

The older Dixon was pacing, "S'not the way muh brother tells it. Seems he saved yer ass from gettin' chewed up."

"Stop." Rick emerged from the door of the RV, visibly shaken. "We need to get the cars filled and the supplies upstairs and sorted through in case we need to leave in a hurry. When all that's done and we've all had some time to calm down, then we can argue about who's fault what was.

"I'm gonna go fill the truck." Daryl swung a tank around. He was jumpy, the look in his eyes told Grace that whatever had happened, he was still spiked with adrenaline and ready to bolt at any second. Whatever trouble it was that had sent them running back so quickly, it had clearly gotten Daryl all riled up.

Merle reached for his own tank. "Should do the bike too. How's the tank on the camper?"

Dale had joined them and was standing at the bottom of the stairs looking just as worried as the rest of them felt. "It's good. Three quarters of a tank, give or take. We should be alright for a while."

"Alright," Rick nodded, casting his glance over the group members. "Haul everything you can upstairs so we can go through it and divide it up. I don't think we'll be staying here longer than tomorrow." He turned to grab one of the duffle bags and started up the stairs, stepping around Dale. There was a brief moment's pause before everyone started shuffling around, trying their best to follow orders.

Grace snuck a little closer to Daryl, hoping that he would give her some quick attention but he was too distracted. When he caught sight of her, he just shook his head. "Go, Carter. Help get the stuff upstairs. I'll come find ya after." She nodded as he walked away from her even though she wanted to shake him.

With nothing left to do but help unload, Grace turned to the supplies still in the Cherokee. There were five six packs of water in the back and Grace started with two of those, taking the stairs carefully. Carol was busy in the kitchen directing people around and trying to get everything organized. When Grace lifted the water to show her, the other woman directed her to put it in the living room. She went back down once more before she nearly bumped into Shane carrying the last one. "In the dining room," she told him. No one pausing long enough for pleasantries. Grace grabbed a few boxes of granola bars from the back of the back of the car when she got back to the garage, noticing that their quick action had nearly emptied everything already. There were only a small things left scattered around.

Back in the kitchen, Carol had created a system for sorting the supplies. It hadn't looked like too much but spread out all over the table it was more than Grace had first guessed. Still by the disappointment on Glenn's face there had clearly been a lot more where all this had come from. When everything was parcelled out and stacked to be stored in the RV or vehicles for their impending departure, the group gathered in the living room. Lori was the last to join them, having brought the children inside and sent them up to the master bedroom to keep them out of the way. Everyone was waiting for answers by the time she stepped in the door. Rick had held of the questions until his wife's return but with Lori back there was no holding back.

"Somebody better start steppin' up and explaining what happened." Shane growled as soon as Lori was seated.

Rick raised a hand to quiet his friend. "I'm sure everyone is worried about what happened. Please just stay calm because everyone is alright. No one was bitten or hurt and we managed to get out with some supplies and a few tanks of fuel which was our goal. That said, we're not sure how safe the area is and we'd like to head out first thing in the morning."

"What exactly happened though?" Dale questioned.

"We got swarmed. Already said that." Daryl was standing with his brother behind the armchair Grace had claimed. He was nowhere near as anxious as he had been when they returned but he still resisted physical contact. She settled for having him stand behind her, knowing now wasn't a time to press him on his affection issues.

"What?" Lori jumped, her eyes were wide as she turned to her husband for an explanation.

The officer sighed and put his hands over his face, rubbing away the sweat and dust there. "Everything started out well enough." He frowned, looking up at the group with a steady gaze. "The parking lot was nearly empty except for the cars and we got the fuel tanks filled quickly enough, even found a few extra gas cans. Daryl stood look out after we got rid of the few walkers that were stumbling around but overall the place seemed to be deserted. The first store was unlocked and it was clean of any activity. That's where we got the supplies but it had been looted already and a lot of things were gone. When we tried to get into the hardware store though, we couldn't get the sliding doors open. Glenn suggested that we go around back and find a smaller employee entrance in the hopes that once we were inside we could get the front doors opened."

"Did you check the building first?" Rick's wife was nearly beside herself. Carol tried to gently reassure the other woman but Lori was having none of it.

"There was nothing inside. We tapped on the glass and there was no movement."

"Until we got around back," Glenn added, still shaken by the encounter. "There was a... a pack of them. They were all stumbling around like cattle. Must have been close to forty."

Grace turned to Daryl but before she could express her panic, he shook his head. "We're all okay, Grace. Nothin' happened to no one." Reassuringly, he dropped his hand to her shoulder and she pressed into it. His fingers slid under the strap of her tank top, rubbing gently.

"How'd you get out?"

"Ran like hell." He grinned. "Had ta save the Chinaman on the way though. Kid tripped over his own damned shoes and nearly got us both eaten. Time we got there, Rick already had the car goin' so we just hopped in an' came right back here."

"Can't stay here none." Merle grunted. "Too close ta that. Gotta be more where they came from."

Rick nodded, "That's why I said we need to move out first thing in the morning. Staying too close to the city isn't safe. More chance we're going to run into more of them."

"Where exactly are you plannin' on goin', Rick? We don't have any idea what's out there." Shane shook his head. "Last time we tried this we nearly got blown up."

"You said Fort Benning might be an option."

"You considerin' it this time?"

"Was thinking about it." The two friends faced off, neither one backing down.

"So Fort Benning in on the table then?" Dale questioned, trying to break the tension. "Does anyone else have any ideas? No one replied and Rick finally gave himself a little shake.

"All in favour of trying for Fort Benning then?" Rick put his hand in the air. Reluctantly, Shane copied him. Nervously everyone looked around the group but slowly everyone's hands were up. The officers nodded to each other and Rick put his hand down. "We leave in the morning. Let's start loading up stuff as soon as possible.

"Is that the last of it?" Andrea stepped out of the RV. It was just before sunrise, they'd gone to bed early the night before and woken just as early. They left the house almost as they found it, but Carl and Sophia did manage to sneak out a few of the stuffed animals from the jungle room. Rick insisted that they paint the side of the house telling other survivors that the house was clean and easily fortified. They might not have been able to stay but maybe someone else could find use for it, even if it was just a safe place to spend a night or two like they had.

Shane nodded, rubbing absently at the scratches that had appeared on his face at the CDC. He insisted that he had done them in his sleep but something about the way Lori was avoiding him made Grace wonder if they hadn't fought. She had been close to her husband's best friend, maybe they were a little too close and the other woman felt guilty now. "Jus' waiting on Rick now. He's up on the hill with that radio of his."

"Is he still trying to reach that guy who helped him out of King County?" Grace leaned up against Daryl's truck, sipping one of the French Vanilla cappuccinos from the MREs.

"Yeah, Morgan or something. Says he wants to tell him the area isn't safe and what went down at the CDC. I doubt the guy's listening. Probably got eaten. No one lasts long on their own." Shane shrugged, squinting into the sun and trying to catch a glimpse of his friend.

Andrea was nodding along with Shane, following his eyes to where Rick was walking down the hill.

"Is everyone ready?" the officer called as he got closer to the cars.

"I think so, man. We're all starting to get antsy being out in the open like this." Shane gestured around the cars, which in the open space were very obvious.

Rick looked around, seeking out his wife and son who were already in the Cherokee with Carol and Sophia. "We should go then. Before it gets too late in the day. I want to make good time."

* * *

With gas in their tanks and food supplies there was no need to stop. The road out of the city was filled with abandoned cars, neat rows from survivors who had tried to leave Atlanta and either been attacked or had left their vehicles and tried to make it on foot. Instead the convoy moved in the empty lane that had once brought people in. The road blocks had clearly worked because there wasn't a single car in their way. They drove for a good hour before Merle spun back around and told them there was a pile-up of cars ahead of them. It was slow going as they tried to get the RV through the crashes and twisted metal. There was no way they could keep going at the rate they were going. They would need to stop and move cars.

Stopping a short distance from the worst of the wreckage, they parked the vehicles and got out.

"Stick close by." Carol told her daughter.

"I'll keep an eye on them." Grace smiled, "I want to go see what's in some of these cars. They can come with me."

Daryl frowned and muttered, "Ya don't need to be goin' too far neither."

She grinned at him and laughed. "I'll be fine." She held up the hem of her shirt showing her gun. "Anything comes close and I'll shoot it." Before he could stop her, Grace leaned up and caught the side of his mouth in a quick kiss. "Call if you need me for anything."

He grunted a response and turned away embarrassed by the affectionate parting. Behind them, Carol was smiling knowingly.

"We're looting?" Lori shook her head. "I don't know how I feel about that."

"There's no one here that needs these things. We can use them." Grace tried to explain. "Anything we can get is going to help us. We don't have enough water right now to wash or cook really. Those MREs are going to suck if we've got nothing to hydrate them with and if we don't get more water, we'll need to start worrying about dehydration in the next few days. We need ammo and weapons. Clean towels and bedding. Even a few first aid kits or medication would be amazing."

"When you put it like that..."

"Coming to help?" Grace offered. "The more eyes looking the better."

"I guess," Lori glanced around nervously at the wreckage. "The bodies though."

"If they ain't movin' yet, they ain't gonna." Merle leaned in the window of a small car, lifting the head of the driver off the steering wheel by their hair.

"That's just disrespectful." Shaking her head, Grace scolded him. "Go help move cars and stop desecrating bodies."

The women slowly began to walk between the cars as the men worked on clearing a path through the vehicles. Whenever they came across a vehicle that seemed to be mostly undisturbed and without bodies, they started sorting through the luggage. Sometimes they found something useful; more often than not they found family mementos and clothing that they really had no use for.

"This flashlight still works and there are extra batteries too." Lori held up the blue plastic flashlight she had found in a basket.

Someone had packed hastily; the rest of the basket was a bible, mismatched empty lunch kits, and two thermoses. Whoever had owned this car had taken a small meal with them on the road and lived long enough to eat it. Everything was gone now. Grace reached over and unscrewed one of the thermoses. The smell of mold and rotting sugar hit her hard and, gagging, she put the lid back in place. When she turned, Carol was watching her, trying to hide a smile.

"Rotten?"

"Whatever was in here is. UGH!" She put the thermos back down and went to see what Carol was looking at in the back of the car she was searching. "Did you find anything?" She asked Carol over her shoulder as she watched Carl start to move behind a car, "Carl," she called and he turned, "Too far buddy." He nodded and started moving back, Sophia following him.

"Some clothes." Carol showed Grace the suitcases. "Nothing we really need." She shoved a red piece of fabric back into it.

"What was that?" Grace reached across to take the fabric from Carol. She shook out the wrinkles and held it up, revealing a red dress. "This is pretty." She held it out to Carol who shook her head.

"I couldn't."

"Why not? It'll look pretty on you."

"Ed never let me wear nice things like that."

Grace frowned down at the dress. Poor Carol, still haunted by her dead bastard of a husband. The man had clearly left some deep scars. Looking up at the other woman, Grace tried to look as collected as possible. "I won't tell him if you don't." She took Carol's hand and put the dress into it. "Go. Put it with you things. I'll watch Sophia."

A blush crept up Carol's neck but she was starting to smile. Nodding she stroked the fabric and hugged it tightly to her chest.

"Look Grace." Carl held up a bottle of coke. "It's still sealed."

"That's awesome!" She walked over to the boy. She took the bottle from his hands, checking to make sure that it was in fact sealed. "I wonder if there's any way to get it cold. Maybe bring it to your dad and he'll have an idea. We can have it as a treat. Share a little with everyone."

Carl nodded eagerly and raced over to where his father was walking beside the RV. Grace turned back to Sophia who was flipping through a magazine she had found. "I remember those."

Sophia jumped, nearly dropping the magazine. "I'm sorry." She bent and picked it up. "I didn't meant to touch it. It was just sitting right there and I wanted to see what it was about."

"Relax." Grace smiled gently. "It's alright. I used to read my cousins' when I was your age. One Direction," she pointed to the cover. "They're sort of cute."

Sophia blushed and nodded. "Mommy bought me their CD. We listened to it after school before Dad got home from work. He didn't like them."

"GRACE!" A voice hissed and they both turned toward it. Rick was waving frantically toward them and holding Carl tightly to his chest. "DOWN!" Grace turned around and stared beyond the cars. First one head then another and another. She gasped. Grabbing Sophia and turning to Claire. There was only one car high enough for them to get underneath it. She gestured for Claire to get inside the car she had been checking and pull the door closed. There would have been no way for all three of them to fit unsuspected but hopefully this way they would all be safe. Pulling Sophia after her, they rolled under the SUV. Sophia whimpered and Grace pulled her face toward her.

"You don't take your eyes off me, do you understand?" Sophia nodded and Grace squeezed her tightly. "We're going to be alright."

The shuffling got closer and closer as the massive group of walkers approached their hiding spots. Lori had grabbed Carol and they were lying under another vehicle a short ways off from where Grace and the girls were hiding. Lori caught Grace's eyes and gestured frantically asking where Carl was. Grace mouthed back, 'with his dad' and pointed in the direction where Rick had hidden with the boy. Feet began to obscure her view of the other women. She couldn't see Claire at all, the girl had managed to pull the door closed behind her and ducked down in the back seat. Against her, Sophia was holding her breath, the little girl's whole body trembling. The air was filled with low moaning and the rhythmic drag and scrape of feet too heavy to be lifted off the ground.

Minutes ticked by. There were no screams, no shouts of panic. That meant that everyone was alright, didn't it?

The footsteps started to fade away. Grace's body was tense from holding still for so long. Sophia's must have felt the same way because her body gave a short convulsion as her legs shifted position. Grace reached down, pulling the limb back under but it wasn't soon enough. A last straggling walker spotted the movement, its own coming to a stop. For a tense moment Grace thought it might move on but it stayed, moaning low in its shattered throat. Crouching down, Sophia made a muffled shriek against Grace's shirt. They could both hear it coming closer. It crouched beside the car and Grace scooted backward as fast as she could manage. Somehow this walker knew and stumbled around the car.

They were cornered.

Grace saw the woods at the bottom of the embankment the road was built on. If they could get down there they could lead it away from the group and come back safely. She pulled Sophia with her from under the car, the little girl whimpering the whole time. "Run!" She hissed in Sophia's ear, pushing the little girl in front of her. The girl nodded, scrambling over the barrier and down the hill. Grace kept a good step behind her, putting herself between Sophia and the danger. If anything went wrong she had her gun but if she fired it, she knew there was a risk that the herd that had just passed would hear them and return. It was a much bigger threat to the group. They could take care of one walker.

Already the tattered remains of the man was stepping over the railing and following him was a second walker that Grace hadn't noticed before. "Keep going," she panted. "We've got to keep going!"

* * *

**Beta Credit:** Eloquent Dreams


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Grace and Sophia hit the forest running hard, trying to put as much distance between them and the walkers chasing them as possible. The two corpses were poor runners and one was missing an arm. She and Sophia also had the advantage of being able to think for themselves, which meant it was much easier for them to get around. The trees were far enough apart that they didn't have much trouble moving, but the roots and rocks on the forest floor seemed to be slowing down their pursuers. Her heart was pounding in her throat and Grace could feel the gun pressed against her hip, reminding her that if anything took a turn for the worse, she had something to fall back on.

"Grace, I'm scared." Sophia cried out. There were tears running down the little girl's face. Somehow she'd managed to keep a hold of her doll, which was trailing from one hand in a death grip. It made her look even younger than her twelve years. Maybe it was her sheltered upbringing or her shy personality but she was a very young twelve. Some children could be left on their own at her age but it was clear that Sophia wasn't prepared at all for the bigger world, let alone one that wanted to kill her. Carol might have been trying to protect her daughter but in this world they needed to quickly toughen up the children or risk losing them.

Grace took a moment to stop, trying to quickly judge how much distance they had between them and the walkers. This was a make or break moment if she wanted the both of them to survive. "Sophia, I need you to listen closely." She held the girl by the shoulders, gently but firmly. "If we don't do everything perfectly right now, we are going to die." It was a harsh reality but Sophia needed to hear it. There was no way to protect her from the truth in this world, it was nipping at their heels. "Stick close to me, stay quiet and do what I do unless I tell you differently. If we want to get back to the group, then there is no time for feeling sorry for ourselves."

Sophia reached for the gun at Grace's waist. "Shoot them!" she begged, "Please shoot them!"

"I can't." Grace lowered the little girl's hand. "If I do, the noise will attract that herd and someone from our group will die. Now Daryl and Merle are going to come after me so we just need to wait it out but we need to keep moving. GO!" She gave her a small shove and then another. "GO!"

They took off running now, ducking farther into the underbrush, putting more and more distance between them and the walkers. There was no way they could circle around now. They were too deep in the woods and Grace had no clue where they were heading. Though she hadn't prayed in years, she began to pray now. _God, if you're still up there listening, please get us out of this safely. Don't let anything bad happen to Sophia. Carol can't handle anymore. This little girl is all she has. Please at least save her._

Up ahead, Grace spotted a drop off in the ground. As they got closer it was easy to see that the drop lead to a creek bed, the water level at least up to their knees. Crossing it would slow them down too much but it also acted as a natural barrier between them and something else. They could use it to at least protect one side.

"Grace? Sophia?" A voice called through the trees. Rick had apparently followed them. Grace had been so busy trying to keep Sophia (and herself) calm and away from the walkers that she hadn't seen the sheriff leave the jumble of cars and follow after them.

Once more she glanced back at the walkers, they were farther back now but still coming. Calling to Rick couldn't do any harm now. "Rick!" She gave a quiet shout, "We're here."

Rick's filthy white shirt flashed between the trees. He was heading the wrong direction, clearly just as turned around as they were. "Rick!" Sophia shouted spotting him. The man turned and finally caught sight of them but the walkers behind them were fueled by the noise as well. One let out a bloodcurdling moan, throwing its head back as if making the sound caused it pain. Sophia let out a short shriek and bolted toward Rick.

"Sophia," He hissed. "Stay with Grace."

Grace caught the girl by her arm as she tried to race past and held her behind her. Rick raced between them and the walkers, putting himself in the more dangerous position. Behind her, Sophia was whimpering again but much quieter this time. Grace didn't have time to scold her again, it wouldn't make any difference. The walkers were determined now and nothing short of killing them would do that.

"Get her out of here." Rick panted, he'd clearly run hard to stay caught up with them. "Find somewhere to hide and I'll lead them away. We'll come find you when they're gone."

"They can track!" Grace blurted. "Daryl and Merle can track."

"I know!" Rick twisted and gave her a shove that nearly sent the two of them spinning into the leaves. "Find somewhere!"

Already holding Sophia's arm, Grace slid her fingers down the girl's wrist and took her hand. She tugged her along through the trees as she heard Rick taunting the walkers, trying to catch their interest. Grace wasn't sure if it was working. She just kept moving.

_Please God, I'm sorry for everything I've done. Please help us!_

* * *

"_Well fuck you, Mitchell Harding!" Grace bent down and grabbed a handful of gravel from the road. Lobbing it as hard as she could, she just missed Mitch's retreating taillights. It was a quarter to midnight and she hadn't expected him to pull the sex card so soon after seeing each other again. After a date or two maybe, but not on the first night. When he had invited her to spend the night driving around the back roads, she had assumed it would be like it always was. Driving somewhere deserted, watching the stars, maybe making-out a little with some heavy under-the-clothes petting. She'd let him finger her a couple of times but it wasn't a regular occurrence or anything. They hadn't even seen each other since leaving for college and it was Thanksgiving now._

_The night was cold. Grace picked her zipper-up hoodie off the ground where Mitch had tossed it after he demanded that she get out of the car. All this crap because she told him that she wanted to slow down. Goddamn, was she ever stupid! She'd never felt more naive in her life. Now she was trapped and alone on a back road, just a short distance off the highway._

_She started walking. There was nothing else to do. She needed to find a payphone and call a taxi or something. She had told her mom that she was spending the night at Amber's and Amber had promised to cover for her. Her friend had a car but she couldn't go anywhere because it was already close to midnight and that was Amber's curfew. No one else was home from school and if she called her mom, the whole story would have to come out and she'd spend the rest of Thanksgiving weekend on lockdown. Grace wasn't going to let that happen. There was a truck stop not too far from here and she could figure out what to do when she got there._

_Pulling the hood up on her hoodie, Grace tried to deflect the wind. The walk couldn't have been more than twenty minutes. She could make it._

* * *

Struggling along through the underbrush pulling Sophia along, Grace wondered just where Daryl was. What was he doing that meant he wasn't screaming his lungs out trying to find her? He had promised her that he would keep her safe and here when she really needed it, he was nowhere to be found. It was a selfish thought. Daryl probably hadn't even noticed she'd been chased into the woods at all. He'd been nowhere near her and she hadn't exactly called out to him. The only reason Rick had come after them was because he saw them being chased. It was possible he didn't even know yet. She pictured him running through the cars trying to find where she was and finding Carol sobbing. It was probably Lori who had to tell him or maybe Shane. Either way there was no one there to soften the blow the way she had when he had to be told about Merle. He must have been kicking up quite the fuss back at the pile-up. Or at least he would when someone explained what was happening. All she needed to do was to wait it out long enough until that happened, then he would come for her.

Her side was aching now. She hadn't done this much running since high school track and that wasn't through the forest. Sophia kept stumbling and Grace constantly had to pull the girl to her feet. Nothing looked familiar anymore, whichever way they had gone it was obviously the wrong one. There was no sign of the creek now and the sounds of Rick encouraging the walkers to follow him had long ago faded. Slowly she began to slow to a walk. They were both out of breath and small twigs had gotten caught in Sophia's hair as they fled.

"I think we can stop here for a while. Take a breather." Grace reached over and pulled some of the debris free of the sweaty blonde strands. Sophia flinched and then seemed to regret the action. The next time Grace reached for her, Sophia lifted her chin, her jaw set determinedly, and let Grace pull another piece free. Working carefully because of her companion's nervousness, Grace pulled piece after piece free, watching for signs of tangles that might hurt her.

"Thanks," Sophia mumbled as Grace finished.

She grinned down at the little girl, "No problem." She smoothed a few fly-aways down. "I wish we had something to drink. I need it after that run."

"Do you think Rick will be here soon?"

"I think Daryl will be here soon. He's going to flip shit when he finds out that I took off into the forest because I was being chased by walkers."

Sophia gasped before Grace even realized what she had said. "That's a swear word."

"So it is," Grace laughed. "Don't tell your mom."

"I won't," The preteen shook her head frantically, "I promise!"

It was difficult not to chuckle at that. "Relax, it's just a word."

"Isn't it bad?"

"Well sort of." How was she supposed to explain swearing to a sheltered twelve year old? At least it wasn't Carl. She could see the immaturity of young boys making it even more awkward. "It depends on how and when you say it. It doesn't actually hurt anyone."

"Oh," Sophia scrunched up her nose. "I still think Mommy would get mad if I said it."

"Probably would." Grace looked around the small opening between trees they had found. If they had been close to the creek, she would almost have risked a handful of water from there but there was nothing around them but a seemingly endless forest. Even the light that filtered through the leaves was faintly tinted green. Damn it, how were they supposed to make their way back to the group now? She had run so hard that she hadn't bothered looking for landmarks and now she was completely confused. Daryl had better be on his way. Grace didn't like the thought of being exposed and away from the group for too long. It wasn't safe. She felt again for her gun, the action was fast becoming a habit. Almost constantly she was checking to make sure it was there, the familiar weight centering her. Better to have it close and never need it than to forget it even once. This situation was exactly why she had never argued with Daryl about keeping it close. Where was he?

* * *

_The Hilltop Truck Stop was apparently farther down the road than Grace had thought it was. She needed a cell phone. Everyone else was starting to carry them and she'd been putting it off, not wanting to get tied to an electrical device. Now though, she wanted one more than ever. She could have called a cab right from the side of the road where she'd been left. Then again it might have been difficult to give them directions to the laneway they'd driven down. The parking lot for Hilltop was packed, almost two dozen 18-wheelers lined up perfectly on the far side and another dozen big redneck trucks closer to the entrance. She'd been up out to eat a few times for family gatherings, the owners boasted about their family friendly atmosphere, but that had been during the day. Now it was getting close to 1AM and the patrons weren't quite as hospitable._

_There was a crowd of rough looking men in plaid shirts smoking by the front door. The largest of the men had a potbelly hanging well over his waistband. His buttons were undone and the white wife beater underneath was stained. He winked at her as she passed and the other men started making crude calls. It was her own fault. She'd dressed up for Mitch and her jeans were far too tight for comfort. Most of these men didn't know who she was either. They were out of town drivers and probably wouldn't think too much of picking up a side of tail with their late night bite to eat and skipping town._

_The payphone was inside next to the door to the kitchen, Grace remembered that much. Gritting her teeth she tried to be as brave as possible. Get inside, call the cab, and get a coffee. Maybe if she seemed like she knew what she was doing they would leave her alone. The waitress working had thick roots at the bottom of her hair and was chewing on her fingernails. She squinted at Grace when she walked past. Grace tried to keep her chin up and eyes focused on the payphone. She pulled out her wallet and counted out enough change to make a call. The number for the cab had been written on a piece of paper and taped to the wall above the phone. Grace dialed it as quickly as she could. It made her feel nervous to have her back to the room for so long._

_The voice that answered the phone for the cab dispatch was feminine and disinterested. "Where d'ya need a cab for?"_

"_To The Hilltop." Grace was startled that there hadn't at least been a little bit of introduction to tell her she'd gotten the right place._

"_The truck stop? Sure thing, hon. It should be there around two."_

"_Two?" Grace's voice caught. "Like two o'clock?"_

"_It's a busy night." The cab lady sighed. "It's gonna take a while to get someone free to drive that far out of town. Take it or leave it."_

"_No, no!" It wasn't like she had any other options. She couldn't exactly call her mom to come get her._

"_Alright," the woman on the other end smacked her gum. "An' where're ya headin'?"_

"_Frances Street." Grace rattled off the address quickly. She could sneak in and tell her mom that she'd decided to come home from Amber's early. It wouldn't be the first time they'd had some little spat in the middle of the night and Grace came home early. They were usually over just as quickly too so when neither girl was upset her mom wouldn't think to question._

_When Grace hung-up the phone, she settled herself in a booth by the front windows so she could see if her cab was coming. It took only a moment for the waitress to come over, note pad out and pen ready to take Grace's order._

"_Coffee." Grace asked immediately. She was cold from the walk and wanted something to warm her up and comfort her. "Do you have any dessert left?" Whenever she had come for dinner they had the best cakes._

"_For sure. What'd ya want? Got muffins, double chocolate cake, and cherry cheesecake."_

"_A slice of the chocolate." It sounded like just what she needed. Suddenly it hit her, her relationship with Mitch was most likely over and if their fight in the car hadn't ended it, then she would end it the next time she saw him. Chocolate cake was exactly what she needed._

"_Waiting for Dixon?" The waitress asked offhandedly, scribbling on the notepad._

"_What?"_

"_Are ya waitin' for Daryl Dixon?"_

"_No." Grace was shocked to even hear Daryl's name. "Why would I be?"_

_The waitress scrunched up her face as though she'd been asked a difficult math problem, "Ain't ya his girl or somethin'."_

"_What on earth would make you think that?" Grace's voice was a lot louder than she had thought it was going to be._

_The other woman held up a hand defensively. "Dunno, just thought there was somethin' goin' on between ya two. Seen ya at William's all summer. Figured ya had something goin' on."_

"_Daryl and I are friends."_

"_Sorry." The waitress shrugged. "Didn't mean to pry. Who'd ya call then?"_

"_A cab."_

"_Ya'd be better off callin' Dixon. At least he'd show up when he said he would. His brother ends up here sometimes with Rooster's boys and Dixon's always good about pickin' him up. Got a right sense of honour that one."_

_Grace shook her head. She could feel her cheeks heating up, whatever sort of friends this girl thought she was with Daryl, it couldn't have been further from the truth. He was so much older than her. "I don't think so."_

_The waitress just shrugged, "Well I hope ya ain't got nowhere to be tonight. It's gonna be a long wait for that cab. They tell ya an hour and it takes 'em two or three."_

"_I'm fine. I'll just get another coffee if it takes longer." The truck stop was open all night; nothing except the end of the world would change that. She didn't care when the cab came, so long as she got home before her mother had a chance to discover she wasn't at Amber's. If Mitch came around in the morning looking for her, she'd be in trouble. Hopefully he'd remember their cover story or just not show up at all. She didn't particularly want to see him anyway. He'd left her feeling more than a little frustrated._

_The waitress was starting to walk away now but Grace suddenly needed some sort of reassurance that she wasn't a complete failure at life._

"_Hey," she called and the waitress turned around._

"_What's up, hon?"_

"_Do you really think Daryl would show up if I called him?"_

_Calling Daryl sure would be easier than waiting around here for the cab. She'd taken rides from him before and he was always quick to offer. The thing was she had never really asked for a drive before. On the nights he came into William's to pick up Merle, Daryl had always thanked her for keeping Merle out of trouble and giving him a call. What was that he kept saying? "_If ya ever need anythin' look me up."_ Did that offer still stand? They hadn't seen each other since she had left the last week of August for school. It would weird to assume a few months later that he would be willing to go out of his way to come get her, wouldn't it? Maybe though, just maybe. She didn't even need to look him up. She'd called his number enough times to know it by heart._

_The waitress grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Yer friends, ain't ya?" The look she was giving Grace was extremely suggestive._

_Grace glared, "Yes."_

"_That boy don't have a lot of friends." The other woman was nodding sagely. "I'd say if ya really are _'friends'_, he's here in fifteen minutes. Tops."_

"_Alright," Grace tried to look as if she didn't care. "I'll take that coffee now." The waitress just shrugged and walked away. The second she had disappeared into the kitchen, Grace stood. She pulled another quarter from her pocket and walked over to the pay phone._

* * *

Sophia was trembling with fear as they waited for someone to come and find them. They must have ran a lot farther than Grace thought because she was sure that if they were anywhere near where Daryl or Merle was looking for her, she'd be able to hear him screaming her name. He wasn't exactly the quietest person around, especially when he was stressed out about something.

She'd settled with the little girl against a large tree, protected from one side by the trunk. Every little sound made her jump, thinking it was either rescue or another walker coming to get them. The gun on her hip was beginning to feel heavier and heavier. It wouldn't be long before the tension began to get to her and she got them moving again. Sophia shifted, sighing. She hadn't said much in the last little bit. Grace wondered if she wasn't going into shock or something.

"Hey," She smiled, facing the girl. "You doing alright?"

Sophia nodded.

"Are you scared?"

This time Sophia shook her head almost forcefully.

Grace chuckled, "You know it's alright to be scared. I'm a little worried myself. I don't like that they were all walking together like that down the highway. I bet they're freaking out looking for us right now."

That broke through the tough shell Sophia was trying to put on. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes and the little girl wiped angrily at her face. "I miss my mom." She admitted. "Is Rick going to come for us soon?"

"Rick or Daryl. Maybe even Merle. I bet he wouldn't be too happy about leaving me out here. Bet he's using this as an excuse to punch Shane in the face." Grace looked at Sophia out of the corner of her eye. The girl caught her eye and started to giggle.

"He's so mean."

"Merle's an ass but he'd not that bad a guy."

Sophia shook her head. "He's angry _all_ the time. And he shouts really loud."

Now Grace was laughing too. "That's true."

"Daryl shouts a lot too." Sophia was gaining confidence now. "I don't like it. They shout, and Shane shouts, and it scares me. They shouldn't shout all the time. They're just too loud."

"Too much testosterone," Grace smiled. "Just you wait. I can see Carl getting into some good shouting matches in a few years. We're in a group of very stubborn men, Sophia, and they don't like when things don't go their own way."

"Carl's dad isn't like that. He doesn't shout. He's just says things and people do them. I like Shane, but I'm happy that Carl's dad came back. He's nice to everyone."

"Even mean ol' Merle most of the time." Grace sighed and closed her eyes. She actually was sort of looking forward to getting back to the group. Daryl was sure to cause a huge fuss and maybe Merle would even treat her nicely for a while. It could be a nice change of pace to not have to watch Daryl's older brother as closely if he decided to give her a bit of a break. If they could just keep the men from getting into a physical altercation, life at camp would be a lot more peaceful. Maybe Rick would figure out a way to keep the peace. He did seem to be more relaxed than Shane.

* * *

_The phone rang four times before Daryl finally picked up. Grace's heart was in her throat the whole time. What if he had just been being nice when he told her she could ask him for a favour? It had been a very long time. How long was the offer still good for? Maybe he wasn't even home. If Merle wasn't causing trouble, Daryl spent most weekends at William's. Maybe she could call there and see if someone had seen him._

"'_Llo?" He grunted into the phone._

"_Daryl?" She gasped into the receiver even though she'd heard his voice hundreds of times on the phone when she had to call him to get Merle. She knew without him answering that it was him._

_He mumbled an affirmative response though. "Who's this?"_

"_Um, Grace. Carter." She stumbled over her words. They were rushing out too quickly. Suddenly she was regretting calling him at all. He didn't owe her anything. "Grace Carter." She confirmed._

"_I know who ya are, girl. What's a matter? Merle causin' shit again? Need me ta come get him?" Daryl sounded almost bored. This was such a typical routine for them. "I'll be there in ten. How long's he been at it?"_

"_No!" She almost shouted, not wanting him to hang-up. It would be embarrassing for him to show up to find neither Merle or Grace there. "No, I, um. I didn't call about Merle."_

"_Huh?" It made sense for Daryl to sound so disoriented. He was probably confused as hell._

_Grace sucked in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. She looked around the room but no one, not even the creepy truckers were watching her right now. "I need a drive." She rushed out before she could lose her nerve._

"_Huh?" He repeated. "Car broke again?"_

_Daryl obviously thought she was at work. Her car was forever breaking down and leaving her stranded at William's depending on either walking home in the dark or catching a ride with someone._

"_No. I don't have the car. I'm up at Hilltop. Mitch and I were... He was... We were out on the B-Line." Grace gave a little cough to clear her throat. Suddenly the room was sweltering hot and stuffy. "I just need a drive into town and I didn't know who else to call..."_

_Daryl took a minute to answer and when he did his words were slow, like he was trying to figure out the situation. "If ya was out on the Line with yer boy, how come yer at Hilltop now needin' a drive."_

_Grace gasped. It was a far more painful phone call than she had expected it to be. "We had a fight. He drove us out here and we had a fight. So he left me."_

"_He left ya at Hilltop?"_

"_No he left me on B-Line. I, well, I sorta walked here."_

"_Jesus!" Daryl was fumbling around on the other end of the phone._

"_I'm sorry I called." Grace wanted to cry now. Calling Daryl had clearly been a mistake. She would just wait for the damn taxi and if she didn't get back into town until morning, then it was her own damn fault for getting herself into this situation. "You said this summer that if I needed something I could call you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed. I'll wait for the cab." It felt like she was trying to catch her words as they came nervously spilling them out. She wanted to take back this entire call. "I'm sorry." She apologized again._

"_Hey!" Daryl's gruff voice broke through her prattling. "I'll be there in a few, a'rite?"_

"_What?" She gasped. Suddenly her ears didn't seem to be working. Had he said that he was coming to get her._

"_It'll jus' take me a few ta git out there. Is Angie there?"_

"_Who's Angie?"_

"_Needs a dye job bad? Got a little thing stuck in her nose? She there tonight?"_

_Grace looked around for her waitress and realized that the woman did in fact have her nose pierced. "Yeah, she's here."_

_Daryl grunted, "Good. Ya need somethin' ya talk ta her. Don't go no where. Stay put, 'kay? I'll come get ya."_

* * *

It felt like she and Sophia had been leaning against that tree for forever. The sun was shifting, no longer directly up above them. Instead it was slowly slipping down, the shadows stretching in the afternoon light. How long had they been lost out here?

Sophia sighed and snuggled a little closer to Grace. God, Grace would have given anything for her stupid cell phone so she could at least check the time. With no way of telling exactly how long they had been in the forest, it made the time seem to pass very slowly. Sophia was scared of bugs, the shadows the trees made, the sounds squirrels made as they ran from branch to branch. Everything seemed to make the girl jump.

"Did you hear that?" The girl sat up suddenly, pulling away from Grace.

Grace tried to catch what Sophia was hearing. She'd been playing this game since they first settled down. It was never anything frightening or even worrisome. "Shhh." Grace pulled her back. "Relax. It's probably some animal or something. Daryl will be here soon."

A low growl made Grace twitch to attention though. Her heart started to pound immediately, trying to escape her ribcage. Even though she was sweating, her skin broke out in goose bumps.

"Grace?" Sophia whimpered and Grace pulled her closer.

"It's alright. Don't worry." It was difficult to sound reassuring when you were about ready to pee yourself, but Grace tried for Sophia's sake.

Sophia frantically shook her head though, her entire body ready to jump up and run. The girl lifted her arm and pointed off to Grace's right, giving a muffled scream.

There a few trees away a bald man stood shakily, wearing blood stained jogging shorts and missing quite a bit of his left hand. He had probably been out for a run in the area and gotten attacked. Most of his t-shirt was stained brown and dark red with crusty bloody and dirt from the forest. His front was covered in crumbled leaves, probably from laying on the ground before he turned.

Beside her, Sophia began to hyperventilate. "Sophia, quiet. Maybe he won't see us." But the walker had already spotted them. He started shuffling a little bit quicker, his good hand reaching out, fingers already grasping at the air. Sophia gave a little squeak and Grace jumped to her feet. "Hurry!" She pulled on Sophia's arm, trying to get the girl up quickly. Grace's eyes searched the area for any more, but this seemed to be the only walker.

A big stick. Was there a big stick somewhere? Or maybe a rock. She could throw a rock or even hold it in one hand and drive it into the monster's head if he got to close. He was getting closer now. Sophia had bolted and was scrambling to get through the thick branches to find somewhere to hide. There was no need to be too quiet any more with this walker having clearly seen them. "Stay close!" Grace warned Sophia and the girl stopped her panicked escape.

"GET HIM!" Tears ran down the girl's face and was she making no move to wipe them away. "KILL HIM, PLEASE!" She begged Grace but still seemed ready to flee.

Grace spotted the perfect rock and dove for it, the walker shifting his focus to her. He swung his useless arm, splattering the ground with black gunk. Checking again to make sure Sophia was a safe distance away, Grace dove at the walker, swinging her makeshift weapon hard and trying to connect with his face. The rock smashed into his shoulder setting the creature off balance and making his second arm useless. Again Grace lifted her arm and swung. She'd seen them smash walkers in the head before but it was a lot harder than it looked. Whatever she had broken didn't seem to be making much damage to his head. The teeth were still gnashing together as it tried to bite her.

In the trees, Sophia sobbed loudly. Grace could hear the little girl even over the slurping sounds that the walker made when he moved. The rock didn't seem to be doing enough effort when thrust forward. Grace just didn't have enough upper body strength to kill it while it was still upright. She took a few quick steps backward to give her a little bit of room again. She just needed this space to think.

She could trip him. If the walker was on the ground it would be easier to smash the rock into his head and crack his skull open. He had a good couple of inches on her but if he was down that wouldn't make any difference. Grace kicked at his feet, attempting to make him fall over but getting tangled up as well. They fell hard, the air rushed out of her lungs and Grace gasped. Looking down into the bloodshot eyes, she moved to bring the rock down but it had slipped from her fingers in the fall. The walker's teeth clacked together, far too close to her face for comfort now. She reached out blindly with one arm, while she used the other to hold the monster at bay by pressing on his chest. Her hand closed around the rock and she brought it down quickly in the centre of her forehead. The bone cracked but not enough to damage the brain. Again and again she crashed the rock down onto the walker's skull, each blow that connected making wet cracking sounds.

By the time she realized the walker had stopped moving, the edges of her vision were tinged with red and the gunk had spattered up her arms. The body below her was still though. She didn't know how long she had gone on crying but it had to have been a while. In the background, Sophia was crying, curled tightly into herself under the low foliage she had hidden in. Only part of one leg was still showing, the rest of her hidden away.

"Sophia?" Grace called out softly and the sniffling stopped. "Sophia." She repeated. Slowly the little girl peeked out from behind the branches, her eyes bloodshot and her face a mess of snot and tears. "Wipe your face off." Grace said gently and Sophia lifted a hand to wipe tears, then thought better of it and just pulled up the front of her shirt. "That's better," Grace smiled. She held out a hand to the girl. "We can't stay here now. If anything heard that fight it's heading that way. Come on. We've got to go."

* * *

_Grace was just finishing her cake when Daryl came in. True to his word it had only taken a few minutes. A couple of men looked up and gave him a polite nod but Daryl barely glanced at them. Grace had seen him looking pretty rough after a night of drinking and throwing up behind the dumpster but she'd never seen him so casual. His hair stuck up at an odd angle and he was wearing a sloppy navy blue sweat shirt. The jeans he wore were soft and wore, hanging loosely on his hips. Even his boots were undone. He'd pulled on what he was wearing in a hurry. Either he'd been at home in bed and Grace had woken him up when she called or Daryl dressed a whole lot more casually at home. The second probably wasn't the case because she'd seen him come in looking more put together when he got his brother._

_He squinted around the room looking for her almost anxiously. When his eyes finally settled on her they lit up and he stomped across the room coming to stand in front of the table with his arms crossed. "The fuck d'ya get yerself inta, girl?" Grace shrugged and Daryl just shook his head. "Where'd ya figure asshole went?"_

_Grace shrugged. "He drove off."_

"_Can't believe that prick'd leave ya out here like that. Lemme guess, ya wouldn't fuck him or somethin' huh? So he ditched ya. There's a good boyfriend."_

_Grace scowled, "We're broken up now. Even if he thinks he's going to come back and suck up after that, he's not. It's over."_

_Daryl nodded and gave her a knowing smirk. "Good for ya. I'd like ta give him a piece uh my mind myself. Tha's no way ta treat a pretty girl like ya. He shoulda been kissin' yer ass even if ya weren't lettin' him in yer pants. How'd yer mum let ya out this late anyway? Was tryin' ta figure out that on the way over here. Yer home for Thanksgivin' right?"_

"_I told her I was staying at Amber's for the night."_

"_Where am I droppin' ya off then?"_

_Grace shrugged again and took a mouthful of her coffee. "I guess I'll sneak back into my house and pray my mom doesn't wake-up too early."_

"_She'd be pissed, huh?" Daryl rubbed absently at the stubble on his chin. "Wanna crash at my place fer the night? Jus' me at the trailer and Merle's up 'huntin' at the camp so ya wouldn't need ta worry about guests in tha middle uh tha night."_

"_You'd do that?" Grace was skeptical. She trusted Daryl, he was a sweet guy, but he was a lot older than her and it seemed like that was a situation that could easily be taken advantage of. She was eighteen now. Her birthday had been last June and Daryl teased her for a week about getting to be old. Was he trying to make some sort of play just because she had called him? "I don't want to impose or anything..."_

_Daryl didn't seem offended. "Suit yerself. I don't mind crashin' on the couch though if ya need a place ta stay. Just tell me where I'm takin' ya."_

_Chewing her bottom lip, Grace tried to decide. He didn't seem like he was trying anything. In fact he seemed perfectly alright with whatever was going to happen. "You're sure?"_

"_Wouldn't uh offered if I weren't."_

"_Okay," she nodded. "Just wake me up if I sleep too long."_

_Daryl pulled out his wallet and tossed a ten down on the table. "Le's go then."_

"_You're not paying." Grace picked up the bill, intending to give it back._

_He wasn't having any of it though. Daryl forced her hand back down and loosened her fingers. "Night's been shitty enough. Least I can do is pay so ya don't get some sort uh hate on fer all men or somethin' 'cause a what that prick did." He gave her a small smile and Grace returned it, suddenly feeling shy._

* * *

Grace tried to judge as best as she could the best way to get back to a main road. Maybe from there they could find the highway again. She was so mixed up though, for all she knew they were just moving farther away from the camp. Sophia was getting tired, it was late afternoon now and if they weren't going to be found, then they needed someplace to stay the night. They couldn't spend the night in the woods, anything or anyone could stumble across them in the dark. It just wasn't safe.

They were lucky to stumble out across a hard packed dirt road just a short while after starting to walk. There wasn't any indication of which way they should go, but the comfort of knowing they were at least following a path helped them press on. Eventually the road led out to a cemetery with a white church at the far end of the clearing. The two stood nervously at the edge of the trees wondering how best to progress.

"Is it safe?" Sophia whispered. After the CDC they were both nervous about approaching any place that may be hiding secrets.

Grace tried to spot anything that might pose a risk. "We go quietly but if it's safe we can stay inside tonight. It'll be easier for them to find us if we're somewhere they're sure to run into. We'd have to hide from walkers in the woods and if we're hiding and being quiet, then no one is going to find us." She turned to the girl. "Come on. We'll check through the windows first to make sure it's clear."

They snuck up on the left side of the church, trying to duck as much between the tombstones when they were out in the open so nothing would spot them. The windows were low enough to peek through and Grace cupped her hands around her eyes to peer inside. Inside were neat rows of pews but there didn't seem to be anything dead or undead. She tapped on the window once and then a little bit harder. When nothing stirred she turned to Sophia and nodded.

The side door was unlocked and Grace went in first. Other than a terrifyingly bloody statue of Jesus, no human forms appeared. Torn between wanting to check alone and knowing that she couldn't leave Sophia outside by herself, Grace reluctantly stepped aside to let the girl into the church. Together they walked to the front of the church and found nothing out of sorts. There were twin wooden doors on opposite sides of the altar and they carefully checked behind each. The first door led to a small prayer room with stained glass windows and lots of floating curtains. The second opened into a large gathering room where meals and meeting were probably held. Two tables were set-up in the centre of the room and a kitchen area took up the majority of one wall. In another corner there was a small play area.

"Look!" Sophia grinned, tugging Grace's hand. "There's water."

A case of water sat out in the open, just waiting for someone to come along and take it. There was two bottles missing but the other twenty-two were more than enough for the two of them. Grace went into the kitchen to see what else there was to find. A stale tin of cake and another of cookies were stored beside tiny creamers and milks. In another cupboard there were cans of apple juice and powdered drink mixes. Grace checked the cutlery drawer and was pleased to find a can opener quite easily. She gave it to Sophia to open a can of juice and kept checking. Boxes of crackers, canned soup, chips, a few bags of moldy bread, and a bowl of shrivelled apples made up the rest of the food that she could find. Hoping for even more luck, Grace reached under the counter and pulled out a massive soup pot.

Sophia sat on a stool, having poured herself a cup of apple juice, and watching Grace curiously. "What are you doing with the pot?"

"You'll see. Pass me two cups please." Grace poured herself a glass of juice and took the second to the sink. Carefully she turned the tap on low and held the glass under it. Clear water poured out. Grace stopped when she got to the top of the cup, careful not to lose a drop and shut the tap off. She held up the cup to show Sophia. "There's still water in the pipes. I wouldn't drink it but we can wash up a bit." She repeated the process of filling the cup over and over until no more clear water came. The pot was very full but she took jug and filled it with water. It smelled a little musty but wasn't discoloured at all. They could take sponge baths.

Taking Sophia with her, they raided the storage room for clothes to wear while they washed theirs. Grace looked longingly at the washing machine but there was no way that it would be working. The stripped down to their underwear and washed in the buckets with dishcloths. There was watermelon hand soap from the bathroom to wash their bodies and from the kitchen they got baking soda and vinegar. Grace showed her young charge how to mix the baking soda with water and use it to wash her hair, then she rinsed the girl's hair over the laundry sink and put a little bit of vinegar in it as conditioner. When they were rinsed off and clean smelling, they changed into white choir robes and washed their underwear.

Sophia sighed as she sat between Grace's knees as Grace brushed the tangles out of her hair. The brush had come from a small dresser drawer labelled with the names of people who Grace assumed sung in the choir. She wished that some of them had left deodorant but she could go without that if she really needed to.

They could have a nice little meal out of things from the kitchen and tomorrow if no one had shown up, they would go into town and steal a car so they could get back to the highway. There were a few backpacks left in the room with the room that had probably been the change room. If they filled them with food and water, Grace and Sophia would have no trouble walking into town and could even bring something back to the group. One night on their own wouldn't be too bad and maybe they would be discovered first thing in the morning and not have to go through town at all. It was a lot quicker to cut through the woods to get to the church than it was to take the roads but Grace didn't want to risk getting lost among the trees again.

"I feel like an angel." Sophia smiled, waving her loose sleeves around. Grace laughed; she was worried about what tomorrow would bring but pleased that they would be safe for the night. This church was exactly what they needed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Daryl let Grace go up the rickety porch steps to the front door of his trailer first. He had parked the truck in front of a small shed that Grace suspected Daryl built himself. It was sturdily made but the finishing touches just weren't there. His yard was neat. The grass was brown in spots, but it showed signs of being well kept. It was clear that he took pride in his home. Unlike some of the trailers they had driven by, there was no junk in the yard, the grass hadn't been allowed to overgrow, and the siding wasn't peeling. Daryl took care of what was his._

"_Door's open." He nodded. "Jus' go on in."_

_It felt strange to just walking into his home on her own the first time, like there should have been more presentation. Instead she found herself standing in his combined kitchen/living room next to a row of coats and work boots. Everything smelled faintly of leather, sawdust, and motor oil – exactly like Daryl did himself. The carpet was worn and there were dishes in the sink but even in here it was clear that Daryl liked order in his space. The room was lived in but tidy. A worn Lazy-Boy held the best view of the small tv and there was a half finished beer on the small end table next to the recliner._

_Daryl shuffled on the porch behind her, clearly waiting to have room to get past her. Trying to be as subtle as possible, Grace shifted to one side to give him room. He stepped into the small space and slid his feet out of his boots. Tossing his keys onto the counter he mumbled, "Toilet's in there. My room's right next to it. Suspect ya wanna go right ta sleep."_

_Grace nodded shyly. The ride over had been quiet but comfortable. Remembering that she would be sleeping in his space while he slept on the couch though was enough to make her feel suddenly awkward. This was Daryl's home, what he came back to at the end of the day to escape the world and she was invading that. He clearly felt the tension too because he shifted from one foot to the other, sort of eyeing her and waiting for a response. "Thank you," Grace blurted out, "I mean for everything. You didn't have to come get me."_

"_Yeah," He shrugged. "Dickhead shouldn'ta left ya like that. Ya looked out fer my brother an' kept me from havin' ta bail his ass out. Owed ya at least one favor." Daryl raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck. "Yer a good girl, Carter. Need more people like ya 'round town." He cleared his throat. "It ain't been the same since ya took of fer school. Wouldn'ta minded ya hangin' 'round."_

"_I missed you too, Daryl. It's lonely being away from home."_

"_Keep in touch then. Obviously ya got my number." He growled. "An' next time ya wanna go cruisin' all night, I'll take ya. No more uh this dumping ya up the B-Line."_

"_I'll keep that in mind." A genuine smile crossed Grace's face for the first time that evening and Daryl returned it reluctantly._

"_Yeah, go on an' get some sleep." He directed her toward the bedroom again. "I'm jus' out here if ya need anythin'."_

Daryl had left his alarm clock on and she reached over to swat him but her arm connected with nothing. She rolled the other way and collided with a small bundle which yelped. The sound of bells was clearer now and they were most definitely not Daryl's alarm clock.

"Grace?" Sophia whispered and Grace blinked herself awake. The little girl was so close to her that their noses were almost touching and Grace's eyes were starting to cross from trying to focus. "What's that sound?"

She cocked her head, listening closer to a familiar sound from her childhood. "I guess they've got a timer set-up or something. Probably runs on solar power." Quickly she gave her head a shake. "We should get up and going though. If they're that loud inside, they must be attracting everything in the area outside. There'll be a swarm here before you know it."

The girl gave a small whimper and Grace reached out to pat her shoulder. "Where are we going?" she wondered.

"Into town," Grace told her. "We'll find a car and get back to the highway. The sooner we get back to the group, the better." Grace didn't want to admit it but she felt nervous on her own. There were too many things that could go wrong. They had been lucky to get away from the one walker in the forest but a group like the one on the highway would be the end of them. They didn't have enough power to fight off more than one and Grace didn't want to risk using the gun in case it attracted others. She missed Daryl and his crossbow, hell even Merle could wrestle most of the walkers. She wondered who was giving the older Dixon his antibiotics or if they would even remember them. She didn't want to have to deal with pus and Merle again.

"We can walk there?" Sophia wanted to know and Grace nodded.

"Can't be more than a half hour judging by the signs. We'll take it slow so we won't attract any attention but we should be back with the group by afternoon."

Sophia's upper lip wobbled and she nodded, sniffing a little. Grace could tell she was fighting back tears. She pulled the little girl into her and gave her a tight hug. It had to be difficult for her being on her own. The girl had only lost her father a few days before and now she was separated from her mother as well and in the care of someone she had known for such a short time. Relationships grew furiously at camp. With everyone thrown so tightly together, it was no wonder that the bonds that were formed were stronger than regular bonds. If Grace had been the Peletier's neighbour back home, she probably wouldn't have known them aside from the screaming fits Ed took and Grace's urge to call the police on him.

But with things how they were now, she felt responsible for the little girl, almost like an aunt. It would have been the same if she was with Carl, Louis, or Eliza. It had taken years to feel some of the responsibility Daryl felt for Merle but in only a few weeks, she felt that she owed it to Carol to keep her daughter safe, and to Sophia to make the girl feel comfortable and protected. Maybe it was partly hormones or grieving the loss of her pregnancy, but Grace felt her mothering instincts kicked into high gear. She wanted to care for Sophia in whatever way she could. On her own, Grace wasn't enough to give Sophia everything she needed. They needed to be back with the group. There was safety in numbers and the longer they spent on their own, the higher the chances were of something going wrong.

"Come on." She nudged Sophia. "Let's get going before the bells attract too many walkers."

They changed into their now dry clothes in the change room and finished off a box of Ritz crackers and the can of apple juice they had opened the night before. If they had a car, Grace would have taken everything, but instead she limited Sophia's backpack to a couple of bottles of water, one of the robes, an unopened package of crackers, a handful of individually packaged spreads, and a butter knife. In her own bag she packed more, knowing she could take the extra weight without it slowing them down.

Sophia was staring out the window blankly waiting for Grace. Smiling to herself, Grace was just putting the finishing touches on a sign that hopefully Daryl or one of the group would find.

_**Sophia and Grace were here. Food in kitchen. Heading to town.**_

She paused with the Sharpie. Did she risk adding something sappier, something that only Daryl would understand? He would be furious if she gave Merle any ammunition to use against him but she wanted to let him know that she wasn't angry with him for not managing to find them right away. He was probably furious with himself as it was. Taking her final swallow of juice, Grace added a small star in the bottom corner of the poster board and looked back to admire her work. The star on the back of her hand seemed to itch and she rubbed it. God, did she ever miss Daryl!

Above them the bells started to ring again. There had to be some way to shut them off but it wasn't anywhere that Grace and Sophia had searched. Maybe it was somewhere outside the building.

Across the room the little girl shrieked and jumped back from the window. She dove for one of the tables and scrambled around it, frantically trying to get back to Grace.

"What's going on?" Grace caught her around the shoulders as Sophia drove her face into Grace's shirt. Pushing the girl back so Grace could see her face, Grace felt her trembling under her hands.

"Walkers!" Already Sophia was starting to hyperventilate. "Outside. In the yard. She saw me."

When Grace looked up there was in fact a female walker covered in lace scratching to get at the window. "Shit." She sighed as a second took notice in the activities of the walker at the window and began to stumble over. "Let's get out of here." She hugged Sophia tightly. They collected their backpacks and walked to the front of the church, hoping that there wouldn't be any more obstacles there. Between the front steps and the road though, a third walker was pacing back and forth waiting for the bells to toll again.

"What do we do?" Sophia pressed into Grace.

Grace's eyes darted around the room looking for some sort of weapon. Above them the bells rang out once more. Grace grabbed a long wooden candle stick. It was heavy but also easy enough to swing around. "Can you run again?" The little girl nodded. "Good," Grace pointed to the smaller side door. "We trick them in here and then run out that door and slam it behind us. We can run around and close these big doors and then we get as far away as fast as we can before the bells start again."

Sophia shook her head, "No! They'll get us."

"I won't let them get you. I just need you to stay right by the side door and hold the backpacks. You'll be fine, alright?"

The little girl didn't seem convinced but she took Grace's backpack and clutched it awkwardly to her stomach. Grace pushed her down gently between the pews nearest the side door and gave her a reassuring pat before she left her alone. There was a ball of nerves rolling around in her stomach and she felt guilty leaving Sophia alone for even a few minutes. Judging by how the morning had been going so far, they had about ten minutes between each time the bells started ringing. So long as Sophia did just as Grace said, she should be okay.

Already the walkers were starting to wander away from the building when Grace opened the front doors. The woman in white lace looked as though her face was melting under her veil. The other two were more generic walkers but even they stunk of rot and gave Grace goose bumps. There were only a few steps and she hoped the walkers would be able to get up them. It was strange but that was definitely the first time she hoped that walkers would be able to get in somewhere. She called out quietly, holding the candle stick in one hand. She didn't want to attract anything else lurking in the woods.

"Hey," She said and the nearest walker turned. "Hey!" Grace repeated a little louder. Now all three were looking at her; seeming to consider their options. Sure enough, all three began to change direction and slowly stager her way. Grace was surprised to find that it was easy enough to step quickly away from them. So long as it was only one or two it shouldn't be difficult for her and Sophia to outrun any they bumped into. They would just need to stay clear of getting grabbed. So long as they could do that, there was no reason they wouldn't be able to make it back to the group safely.

The thought made Grace feel lighter as she led the walkers across the yard slowly, keeping just far enough that they couldn't get her but still close enough to tempt them. When she got to the stairs, she took the first two carefully and then waited for the walkers to catch up. The creatures didn't hesitate to lift their feet, toes catching on the steps and bodies falling forward heavily. Grace jumped back quickly, making it to the top of the steps and throwing both doors open wider to make sure that all three walkers would get inside. The female was still on her feet, though just barely, and one of the others seemed to be handling the stairs alright as well but the third was pulling itself up by its arms, slower than the others.

Grace hadn't accounted for one of the walkers slowing behind the others and possibly getting left behind. It changed how the plan was going to work. In order for her and Sophia to get out of the church, Grace wanted to make sure that all three were locked safely inside before they started walking into town. The little girl was still inside the building and if two were inside and one still out, there was no safe area for Grace to take Sophia to. She hoped that the little girl had the sense to stay hidden as Grace lead the walkers to the side away from where Sophia was, the third walker crawling along the stairs. They had to be sure the walkers were definitely contained. She couldn't leave Sophia inside with half of them and she couldn't take her outside if they were still out there. Everything rested on this third walker crawling its damned way inside.

She couldn't even see the little girl anymore. Sophia must have crawled right under one of the pews. The backpacks were still sitting right by the door though, waiting for them to leave. If she could distract the two walkers until the third got inside, then they could continue on with their plan to get to town. Grace raced to the front of the church, weaving between the pews to put distance between her and the pursuing corpses. Trying to see out the door she turned back. The third walker was just dragging itself over the top step, arm straining with the effort. As it pulled itself across the doorstep, it seemed to realize that it could walk and clambered to its feet. The first few steps seemed shaky but it was moving now. With all three inside the church, Grace raced to the altar to give her and Sophia as much distance as possible.

"Sophia!" Grace shouted. "Now, get outside now!" The little girl popped up and hurried to the backpacks grabbing both and throwing the side door open. Grace raced to the back of the room and out the door after Sophia. "I've got to close the front door," she said. Grace pulled the side door closed, making sure it was latched, and hurried to the front of the church. The walkers were already moving toward the exit and she pulled both doors closed at once, latching them together and securing the walkers inside. Adrenaline flowing through her, Grace returned to Sophia who was standing with her back pressed against the church wall and looking shell shocked.

"Sophia?" Grace whispered, not wanting to startle the girl. The little girl jumped anyway nearly dropping her backpack. "It's alright," Grace assured her. "They're locked in."

"Are you sure?" Sophia whispered back, sounding very much like she was ready to cry.

Nodding, Grace took a step forward and picked up her backpack. "Yeah, we're good for now but we need to get going before the bells start ringing again. It'll just attract more. Come on." She helped Sophia get her backpack on and the two headed for the main road. Grace had a small map tucked in one of the pockets of her backpack in case they couldn't figure out which direction to go. She had found it on the back of a pamphlet that advertised the church and it showed how they would get into town from where they were.

_Scritch-scritch-scritch._

_Grace shifted, the smell of the bed strange but familiar. It sounded as though something was trying to get into the room. What could be trying to get in? Where was she exactly? Slowly her eyes opened just a fraction, sunlight making her squint. It was definitely morning but for a moment she was disoriented by her surroundings. Then she remembered._

_Mitch._

_Mitch forcing her out of the car and onto the side of the road. Mitch driving away and leaving her to walk to Hilltop. The pervy men and a cab that was going to take far too long. The waitress. What had Daryl said her name was? Angela? Amy? No, Angie. Nosy Angie who thought, somehow, that Grace and Daryl were together. Calling Daryl to come get her and Daryl telling her she could sleep over. Sleep in his bed. Maybe Angie was right. Maybe this was some sort of play at her. If it were though, why hadn't he tried anything? She'd been here all night._

_The scratching at the door started again, incredibly insistent, but this time it was followed by Daryl grunting and swearing._

"_Down! G'down! Fuckin' dog! I said lay off. Git off the goddamn door!" The last line was followed by what sounded like a scuffle and dog nails being dragged across the floor. It was quiet for a moment and then the dog Daryl was fussing over apparently launched itself at the door, knocking it right in._

"_Oh my God!" Grace sat up as a sandy brown mutt with black patches launched itself at the bed. The dog landed squarely on her stomach and stared down at her, jaw open and panting hot dog-breath over her face._

"_BUDDY!" Daryl hollered and came sprinting into the room stopping short when he saw the dog sitting on top of Grace. "Damn it." He grumbled, shifting awkwardly in the doorway. "Sorry, he jus' likes people see. Ain't use ta havin' too many visitors. 'Specially not overnight ones sleeping in here. He thinks that there's his bed."_

_Grace had to fight to back her smile. The big man across from her was blushing pink and wouldn't make eye contact. She reached up and scratched the dog behind the ear while subtly adjusting him so he wasn't on top of her. "It's alright, I just wasn't expecting it." The dog flopped down on his stomach next to her. Daryl was right, he clearly thought this was his bed. "What time is it anyways?"_

"_Quarter after seven. Wanted ta let ya sleep longer but Buds weren't havin' none of it. Sorry." He repeated, scuffing his bare toes against the floor._

"_Well I'm up now. Maybe I should hit the road soon. I can walk to Amber's from here and she'll give me a ride home."_

"_I can take ya." Daryl offered quietly. "Don't make no difference ta me, but I don't mind."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Ya, was jus' gonna make coffee an' head out anyway. I'll give ya a ride. Want some?"_

_Grace nodded enthusiastically, "Coffee sounds amazing!" And it did. She was actually starving despite the chocolate cake she had had the night before. Her mom's family had been in town for Thanksgiving dinner and she was living off of leftover turkey casserole and half empty fruit trays at home. She was just glad that everyone had decided on hotels instead of cramming into the house but the house was packed during the day. It was probably why her mom had been alright with her skipping out for a night to allegedly visit Amber. It didn't seem like Daryl had any sort of family dinner at all. His house was quiet, no signs of guests. He'd even said Merle was at the camp. It was possible that he'd been all alone for the holiday that Grace dreaded because of the amount of family interaction._

_Daryl gave her a shy grin. "A'right. Jus' come on out when yer ready then. Come on Bud." He patted his leg in an attempt to get the dog to move but the mutt just flopped over panting. "Stupid mutt." He grumbled. "Come on." Buddy didn't seem to be planning on moving anytime soon and that just made Daryl even more frustrated._

"_He's fine." Grace fought back her laugh as Daryl tried to tempt the dog off his bed._

"_Ya sure?" He gave her a doubtful look._

"_Yeah I don't mind so long as he's not jumping on me. I'll be out in a minute."_

_Daryl just shrugged and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him._

Grace and Sophia walked the whole way to town without encountering another walker. Maybe it had something to do with staying just off the main roads or maybe they just lucked out. They could have just as easily run into another herd like the one on the highway. There was no way they could outrun a herd, but Grace was sure they could handle one or two walkers. Still, she didn't want to run into anything being as exhausted as she was. Even though she had slept the night before, it had been rough and the rude awakening was the last thing she expected.

She could feel the wrestle with the walker in the woods too. Her muscles ached, her body humming with dulled pain. Every step she took felt like it was twisting something in her knee that she hadn't noticed the day before. It wasn't that she couldn't carry on. She was perfectly able to. It was just uncomfortable and unpleasant. Had this still been the old world, she would have considered calling in sick to work but there were no days off in this world. Sophia was relying on her to get her safely back to her mom and Daryl was probably worried furious over her spending the night missing.

Sophia stopped to wipe the sweat on her neck. It was running down from her hairline, the blonde locks sticking to her forehead. Grace glanced around, there had to be somewhere close that they could stop and get out of the heat. Her body ached and it had to be close to midday. The sun was almost perfectly overhead.

"Let's find somewhere to rest for a bit." The town seemed reasonably empty; the few storefronts that were broken or messy were probably from walkers and not looters. The majority of the shops were just empty, the town seemingly frozen in a time where people simply took a drive down to the store without worrying about if they would survive. The panic that hit Atlanta hadn't hit here. The previous occupants had either moved on or gone out without a huge fight. On the outskirts of the town it was difficult to even tell if there had been a military intervention.

The store the girls chose was a small convenience store. Grace picked it for the metal grating over the front door and small windows high off the ground. The door was unlocked when she tried the knob and the door opened easily.

"What if there's someone in there?" Sophia hid behind Grace, tugging on her shirt to try and get her to step away from the open doorway.

She was right of course. If there was something in the store, it wouldn't hesitate to attack them. Maybe the previous owner had succumb to bites inside or anyone else could have stumbled along in the meantime. Grace looked around for something that she could improvise with as a weapon. She'd never wanted to go into a sporting goods store and have a baseball bat more than right now. A nice solid aluminum bat that she could strap to her hip like a sword and swing with enough force to crack a skull with only a few crunches. She settled on a length of wood that someone must have been using to board up windows. It wasn't the bat she wanted, and if too much force was put on it the wrong way it might snap, but at least it was something.

"Wait outside," Grace turned to Sophia. "Keep your back to the wall and a good eye on things. I'll come get you in a minute once I've checked the store." Sophia swallowed hard but nodded.

"Can I have a stick too?" She looked enviously at the one Grace was holding.

A stick was much better than her asking for the gun and if that was what the girl needed to feel safe and stay put, then she was welcome to as many big sticks as she wanted. Grace nodded, "Take one." Sophia scurried over to the stack of wood and began sorting through it looking for a stick she could use to defend herself should anything happen while Grace was inside. The first one that she held up was oversized and Grace could see Sophia struggling to even hold it at waist height. She shook her head and the girl pulled out a smaller piece of wood. "That's good." Grace smiled and Sophia nodded and tested the weight in her hand.

"Okay," She was frowning down at her new weapon. "You can go inside now to check." The preteen squared her shoulders and held her head up to look Grace in the eye. "I'll keep watch out here."

Grace raised an eyebrow but Sophia's determined stare didn't waver. She was serious about keeping watch, something had switched when she was allowed to carry a weapon, when she was able to protect herself. "Alright," Grace smiled in agreement, "you'll keep watch and I'll check the store. Then we can have a rest and some lunch."

Without a hint of nervousness, Sophia scrunched up her face seriously. "We can take what we need from here and then find a car. Everyone is probably worrying about us."

"They probably are. I'll just check inside and then we can get our supplies. You just call if anything happens out here that you can't handle." Grace encouraged the confidence that Sophia was showing. It was nice to see her stepping out from her shell a little and facing the world head on instead of hiding from it. Maybe their adventure with the church walkers had been just what she needed to gain a little confidence.

Sophia settled herself against the wall of the store with the backpacks at her feet and the bludgeon in her hand. Her eyes darted left to right, search and waiting for some sign of danger to appear, clearly ready to take care of anything that tried to make an appearance. Grace couldn't help but worry that maybe the girl was too confident. She would make a point later to remind her that it was alright to run if she needed to. Sometimes facing a problem head on wasn't brave, it was stupid. There was nothing dishonorable about keeping yourself alive.

Inside, the store was stale, the air probably hadn't moved for a few weeks since the building was abandoned. Very few of the shelves were emptied; most of the packages were still perfectly lined up where they belonged. On the counter a basket of blackened bananas were rotting and the hamburger and hotdog buns were all moldy. Three long fridges lined the back wall full of bottled drinks and two more on the left held rotting food. The drinks that didn't need refrigeration might be alright but the food was clearly done for. As long as the doors stayed sealed though, the smell would be contained. The main room was empty of walkers, the till had been pulled open and the key was still in the lock, whatever employee that had been here last had left in a hurry. A small bathroom was empty as well and so was the closet of cleaning supplies.

At the end of her search, Grace checked the back storage room which had a large door that opened into a back lot where merchandise had probably been brought in to be sorted and labeled for sale. The door was open and Grace checked carefully that there was nothing trapped inside before closing the door. When she secured the door into place, the room was suddenly much darker. It took her a few tries to find the path back to the front of the store through the boxes and shelves but she got back without bumping her shins too badly.

Outside, Sophia had sat down cross-legged but still at full attention, waiting for Grace. Her length of wood was laying across her thighs and both hands clutched the piece of wood tightly. "Grace," the girl's breath flew out in a rush. She'd probably been holding it since Grace had gone inside.

"I'm alright." Grace smiled at her young companion. "It's clear inside. Let's get some food."

_Daryl's trailer seemed slightly smaller in the daylight. Maybe it was because she had simply been relieved to get there the night before that she hadn't noticed that it was a really tight fit for the furniture. The kitchen table was almost sitting right on top of the furniture in the living room. It was cozy and neat though. There was a blanket folded on the arm of the couch and a small pillow where Daryl had probably slept the night before. Behind her, Buddy's tail was pounding on the door frame and he pushed past her legs to get to Daryl._

_Daryl looked up from his coffee and frowned at the dog who was grinning at him. "Traitor," he mumbled under his breath but the dog just swished his tail back and forth across the floor._

"_He's a sweetheart."_

"_Little bitch is what he is." Daryl was still scowling but good-naturedly now. He rubbed the dog's ears, "Supposed ta be a huntin' dog but tha best Merle and me can git him ta do is chase squirrels. Stupid dog. Coffee's on tha counter." He turned to Grace._

_There was already a mug set out for her, white and cheap with a chip on the rim close to the handle. She poured herself a cup of coffee, mixing in her sugar and milk, and then sat down at the table with Daryl. They sipped at the hot drinks in silence. It was strange; Grace wasn't used to sitting so long with someone without saying anything. Somehow she didn't feel odd though but Daryl apparently felt something needed to be done because he cleared his throat. Grace gave a small start and blinked at him, questioning what he had made the sound for._

"_So how's college treatin' ya?" He grimaced, clearly not coming up with anything better to start a conversation with._

_Grace tried to bite back her laugh. "God if I had a dollar for everytime I heard that this weekend I'd be debt free."_

"_Ya don't like it?"_

_She gave a noncommittal shrug. "I don't hate it. It's school though, you know? Just more expensive now. At least it's not high school. Couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough."_

_Daryl snickered, "Where'd ya go wrong with high school? Footballer boyfriend, popular friends, ya went ta prom, right?"_

"_I just wish I hadn't wasted my time being such a..." Grace searched for the word, "Goody-goody." The snort from across the table made Grace frown. "What?"_

"_S'what ya are. Ain't yer fault ya was raised up good an' proper."_

"_I wish I had done something that wasn't expected of me though. I still do. I think that's what I'm not mad about Mitch. I don't even like him anymore. He's just not worth it, you know? He's still stuck in the past and there's this big world out there. I've got a _life_ to live!"_

_Raising his hands in defence, Daryl grinned at her. "Yer ma's gonna blame me if ya go off tha deep end."_

"_She hates you." Grace stated calmly. "I think that's why I was so nice to you in the first place." He chuckled and she shrugged. "Mom's convinced you're going to drag me off into to a cornfield and dump my body. She hates that I work in a bar_ _but face it, what else is there for me to do around here other than babysit?" She took another swallow of coffee. "Being home sucks because I'm just so used to doing everything for myself now. I'm ready to grow up. Half the morons in residence don't know how to cook or do their own laundry. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd get a place of my own. I miss waking up and not having to listen to my mother listing off my chores."_

_Daryl shrugged, frowning into his drink. "Take her while ya got her. It's nice ya at least got family. All I got is Merle," he attempted a grin, "an' a fat lot a good he does me. Dixon's use ta be big 'round these parts. My pa had ten brothers and sisters. Girls all got married and left home, the boys fucked up one way or another. Got aunts and cousins down in Florida an' a uncle in Texas, but most uh them wanted outta this town. The three boys that got stuck here didn't make it far an' they drank themselves half ta death; beat their wives an' kids an' lived in trailer on the wrong side uh the tracks. Ain't much hope of me makin' much uh myself 'cause e'eryone 'round here jus' shakes their heads. Least with yer ma, no one holds their purse tighter when ya walk by them on the street."_

"_People are shitty all around."_

"_Don't be so hard on yer mom. She's doin' her best with ya." His eyes were focused out the window when Daryl spoke the next part. "Ya seem ta be turnin' out ta have a good head on yer shoulders, girl, even if ya do let old men take ya home in tha middle uh the night." He caught her eye for a second and Grace had to fight off her laughter at his teasing grin._

Grace didn't expect to spend as much time in the store as they did, but the later it got, the more walkers she saw milling around. Just a few here and there but enough that they were blocking the exits and making Sophia jumpy. The girl hadn't sat still for most of the afternoon. There were no cars near enough that looked as though they might still have keys in them and Grace couldn't risk taking Sophia outside in the mess of walkers to hotwire a car. She didn't even really know how to, though Merle had offered to show her once. She regretted not taking him up on it now. When they got back she'd ask Daryl if he knew how and if not, she might consider asking Merle. It would be a useful skill to have.

Sophia was snacking on Doritos and licking the cheesy powder off her fingers while staring anxiously out the window. It probably wasn't the healthiest snack but they burned through so many calories walking and sweating it was probably alright for her to have a little treat. It wasn't like they weren't getting enough exercise.

A young female walker with a limp and matted ponytail stumbled close to the window and Sophia shifted closer. There were five on the street right now but they had been slowly shifting east. Grace had checked on a map and seen that there was a high school that way. Maybe there were survivors holed up there, or maybe there had been and there weren't any more. A lot of the radio announcements had listed schools as being repurposed for evacuation centres. They were too close to the school now, the map showed it just a few blocks away. As it got darker and cooler there were more and more walkers on the streets. Maybe they didn't like the heat either but they seemed to be more active at night and into the early morning. The sun was slowly sinking and as it dipped below the buildings there was more and more activity in the street. They would have to wait it out until they could get into a car. Hopefully by mid-morning, most of the walkers would have stumbled back to wherever they came from again.

Sophia woke early and startled Grace awake with her. It was early, the clock on the wall must have run on batteries because it had ticked all night. They had slept in the bathroom with their extra clothes from the church as blankets. There hadn't been much movement outside at all since about five when Grace had fallen asleep for the fourth or fifth time. She had been up most of the night, startling at any sounds or movement. Just after she fell asleep the night before she was sure that she had heard gunfire. Whatever it was, most of the walkers on the street had heard it too and they stumbled off toward the school, leaving the streets dark and empty.

Both awake and the street mostly clear, the girls took turns using a mop bucket as a toilet and had a quick, greasy breakfast of junk food. It didn't take long to pack up all their things and have them waiting by the door, ready for a break in the walkers so they could sneak out. The moment Grace saw a moment of stillness on the street, she and Sophia made a run for it, heading further into town and away from the school. They walked cautiously down the street, looking for any signs of activity.

It was only a few minutes that they had been walking before they spotted a truck with its driver side door opened just a fraction. With Sophia close on her heels, Grace checked the truck over quickly and was elated to find the keys still in the ignition. She pulled the door open and helped Sophia crawl in first before tossing her backpack into the middle and putting her foot on the running board so she could climb in.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you."

Sophia shrieked. Slowly Grace turned around to face whoever was threatening them. She came face to face with a black woman holding a handgun in shaky hands but still steady enough to cause some damage if she needed to. "Whoa!" Grace stumbled backwards, almost falling from the truck. "We don't mean any harm."

The woman shook her head frantically, microbraids hitting her cheeks. "Don't move!" She turned to the right and shouted, "Marco! Get out here!"

"Listen, we didn't mean anything. We're just trying to get back to our group." Grace wasn't sure exactly she was supposed to say to this woman to stop her from shooting her and Sophia. All this time she had been worried about walkers but she never considered what would happen if she bumped into a group of hostile survivors. They could be just as much of a threat as the undead.

"Shut-up! MARCO!" The woman called out again and a heavily muscled man came running out of a store a few away from the truck. His skin was just as dark as the woman's.

"Charlene? What's going on? Jesus!" He caught sight of Charlene holding a gun to Grace and waved his hands frantically. "What the hell is going on here?"

Charlene locked eyes with Grace and scowled. "She was trying to steal the truck."

"I didn't know it was your truck," Grace frantically tried to explain. Sophia was crying on the seat behind her and Grace wanted nothing more than to comfort her.

A second man, this one tall and white, came sprinting around the side of the building. "Marco? Charlene? What's happening?"

"She was trying to steal the truck." Charlene repeated for the second time, her gun still trained on Grace who was attempting to shield Sophia from view as much as possible. She had thought she would be bringing Sophia back to her mother unharmed. The last thing they needed was for her to get shot.

"Jesus Christ, Char! She's got a kid in there!"

"But the truck..."

The white man stepped forward and tugged the gun free from her hands. The hair at his temples was starting to go grey and he sported a full beard. While the other two looked as though they were better dressed and cared for, this man seemed to be the rougher of the three. "Are you out of your mind? She's not a threat to us. Probably just trying to keep her kid safe. Let them out of the truck so they can explain themselves before you start threatening to shoot people." He uncocked the gun and pushed the woman back a foot or so from where she was standing giving Grace plenty of space to get out of the truck. "Sorry about Charlene. She's a bit twitchy today. You two alright?"

Grace swallowed thickly trying to find her voice. "Yeah," she nodded, "no damage here. Sorry about the truck."

"Mind comin' out so we can talk a bit."

She had to think of Sophia first, the girl was her first priority. Already the one woman had pulled a gun on them and who knew what would happen if she was given the chance to get that gun back. It was all about survival and that meant keeping cautious. "I'll come out," Grace tried to sound as brave as possible, "but she stays in the truck." She didn't know if Sophia could drive but if bullets started flying she might have a bit of a better chance inside the truck than out.

The man nodded, glaring at the woman and eventually she too nodded. "I'm sorry." She admitted reluctantly. "Can't be too safe these days."

"I'd have done the same," Grace admitted honestly. "Who knows who what sort of people you're going to running into, right? Gotta protect our own." She indicated Sophia in the truck, trying to stake her claim over the girl without admitting that they weren't blood relations. She didn't want to think of what could happen to a young girl if someone wasn't responsible for her and an unsavory person took an interest. Both men were heavily muscled and well armed, machetes strapped to their thighs and barely concealed guns in their waistbands.

"How old?" Charlene wanted to know. "She looks just a little older than my niece."

Grace debated not answering honestly but the woman's posture was slowly relaxing. Her fists weren't balled anymore and as the black man came to join them, she stepped closer to him. "Twelve."

"Alisha's eleven." Charlene seemed to freeze for a moment, then she started up again with a renewed enthusiasm. "Are you two on your own?"

Was it a trick? Was she trying to trick information out of Grace, trying to find out if she was a threat? Maybe she was just being friendly. "We've got a bigger group."

The black man put an arm around Charlene and gave her a small squeeze. "Let's just let them go on their way, baby-girl."

Charlene frowned. She turned into Marco and whispered anxiously. "Do you think it's like what happened with Jessie and Sara?"

"They're not our problem. Five minutes ago you were going to shoot them."

"But I didn't." The other woman shook her head. "Look at them. Their group left them out here on their own." Her whisper was harsh but Grace heard every word. "Mom would be furious if we didn't offer."

"We're too full as it is."

"Two more, look how thin they are. The girl's just shaking on the seat."

"We don't need help." Grace piped up. "We've got people looking for us that we need to get back to. We just got separated from the group and I need a car to get back to the highway. They'll be waiting for us."

The three looked at Grace startled. "The pile-up on the highway?"

"Yeah," She sighed trying to figure out how to explain everything that had gone on. Chasing Sophia, trying to keep her safe, and making their way back to the group. "They'll be waiting for us."

"There's nothing alive that way. Whole herd passed through a couple of days ago. Bunch of 'em are still hangin' 'round." The white guy was shaking his head. "No way can we let you go back there, unarmed. Char's right, Marco. We need to bring them back with us."

"Don't I get a say in this? We've done just fine on our own so far."

"What's your name, sweetheart?" He almost seemed condescending in his kindness and the endearment made her heart pang as she thought of Daryl. They had to get back to the group. The others would be waiting for them, they wouldn't just leave them behind, would they?

"Grace."

"I'm Matt, Grace. It's good to meet you. Look, I know you're doing it on your own and taking care of your girl there but it would be stupid to go out to the highway unarmed. Everything that comes through town goes that way first, dead and undead. We'll take you tomorrow I promise, but come home with us for tonight, get a good night's rest and a full stomach, and we'll start out first thing in the morning."

It would be nice to have some back-up and the group was almost completely run down on supplies. Maybe they could trade a little. "Where exactly is home?"

Charlene and Marco had opted to ride in the back of the truck on the way to their house. It was just Matt, Grace, and Sophia in the front. Grace had to struggle between sitting in the middle herself to separate Sophia from the man but in the end, the fear of walkers somehow getting into the window won out. The house was Charlene's mother's and in the aftermath of the end of the world the family had come together there, taking in anyone who needed a home. Matt said they would understand when they met Etta. The sixty-one year-old could apparently only be compared to angels and saints.

"Gabe just loves her." Matt insisted. "I figured that when we had to leave the rest behind, he would just break but Nana Etta keeps everyone on the straight and narrow. We're all a big family." Gabriel was Matt's nearly eighteen year old son. He'd admitted in bits and pieces on the drive over to losing Gabe's two little brothers and his wife, their mother. The details were vague though; he was much more willing to talk about the new family he'd discovered. "Sophia can play with the kids. You got any other kids with your group?"

"Carl." Sophia whispered. It was one of the first things that she had said since getting into the car. It wasn't difficult to imagine how she felt, they were getting so close and now it seemed as though they were travelling in the complete opposite direction of the highway. Away from their family and friends.

"He's Rick and Lori's son." Grace answered. She'd mentioned a few names, explained that they had two police officers, and tried to make them seem tougher than they were just in case something went wrong. "He's a few months younger than Sophia. There was another family but they decided to do things on their own."

"Man, I wouldn't want to do that. Like havin' people 'round too much." Matt shrugged and pointed through the windshield, "You'll see the house when we get around this corner. The road twisted upwards and at the top of the hill was an almost ninety degree turn through the thin trees that completely blocked Grace from seeing where they were going. The moment before the house came into view, Grace's stomach dropped out. There was no going back now, no matter who these people were, they were stuck with them now. She'd dragged Sophia into this instead of trying to get back to the group today, and now it rested on her to make sure it was the right choice.

The house was a large farm house, but there wasn't a barn in sight. The small stone wall wasn't good for much but looks and defining the property line. It might slow down a walker but it wouldn't hold them off. The wraparound porch was missing its staircase and the half wall that made up the sides was actually probably enough to keep walkers from physically getting into the house so long as they were in small enough numbers and didn't have the strength to pull themselves over the top. There were multiple cars in the yard but all three strangers had admitted that it was just because they drove them there to use for parts and fuel. Not to mention it made them look like they had a lot more people than they did.

Sophia had perked up in the seat next to Grace, staring out excitedly past the little stone wall and the uncut grass to the tiny group running toward the approaching truck.

"Look Grace," She smiled, starting to wiggle in her seat. "Kids!"

And there were, running to toward the road were five little bodies and a sixth even smaller body following behind. On the porch, two men stood up and stared hard toward the road but their guns were shouldered and they didn't seem threatening. As the truck pulled up in front of the house, the children swarmed around it, smiling and waving. An older boy, long limbed and awkward, sat on the porch next to the two men who had probably been standing guard over the children as they played. Any place that had children playing out front couldn't be so bad, could it?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Sophia's initial excitement about the number of children had worn off the moment they parked the truck and she had to get out to greet them. The little girl had hidden as much behind Grace as she could, nervously chewing her fingernails. Charlene seemed to realize that it was overwhelming and she herded the children back a few feet.

Let's give them some space for a moment," She smiled gently at the kids. "We don't need to scare them away before they even get out of the car."

There were a lot more children here than just one niece. Judging by skin colour, it was easy to guess who was related to Charlene. Only the one little boy was white, the other six had varying skin tones, but matching dark curling hair and big dark eyes. It was only the littlest, who couldn't be more than a few years old, that had pale green eyes.

The oldest girl, most likely the niece that Charlene had mentioned, whispered to her aunt, "Who are they?"

"We bumped into them in town." The woman explained carefully, leaving out that she had threatened them with a gun at first sight. "They're going to stay with us until we can get them back to their group."

"Where'd their group go?"

"They got separated. We'll bring them back up to the highway so they can meet-up with them."

"Oh," The girl seemed to consider the strangers for a moment. "Are they going to come live with us too?"

"I don't know," Charlene answered honestly. "I think they'd all have to discuss that."

"It's too full here." One of the younger boys pouted, crossing his arms. "There's no more room."

"Darius," Marco scolded, "Don't be rude."

"Already gotta share a bed with Caleb." He scowled.

Matt dropped the tailgate and Sophia jumped. He smiled apologetically and began shifting the boxes of supplies from town. "I'll take 'em inside to meet the rest of the crew. Gotta bring this to Etta in the kitchen anyway."

Supper with the new group was a loud and chaotic affair. They ate on the porch, with whatever chairs they could find or on blankets spread out on the ground. Maybe it was because they had been able to stay in one place but this group was much better off. The house had a summer kitchen and a woodstove that they used for their cooking. There was fresh bread, meat and gravy, and vegetables from the garden. Grace couldn't remember the last time she had a slice of bread still warm from the oven. After the stale crackers and cookies she and Sophia had been eating, this was heaven.

Matt was right, Etta was pleased to have them there. She put off a warm and comforting air which made Sophia warm up to her completely. The matriarch of the Halverson family was just strict enough to keep everything running smoothly but she also clearly cared for her family. Etta wasn't someone that would be messed with.

Though most of the family had survived and the children were all alright, two of Etta's five children had been lost to walkers. Her oldest son, James, had been startled by a turned neighbour who he was trying to give first aid to and he died right in the first wave of attacks. Her youngest daughter, Tawny, had been watching the children in the yard when she was startled by three walkers that stumbled out of the trees.

The remaining three: Jocelyn, Charlene, and Eli had decided it was safest to move the whole family into one house.

Jocelyn had brought her husband, Peter, and two children, Owen and Alisha. Owen was thirteen and already starting to show signs of being old before his time. He had been the one sitting on the porch with the men. Alisha was just a year younger than Sophia and had none of her brother's jaded attitude.

Though they had a relatively new relationship, Charlene had offered a space in her mother's home to her boyfriend Marco. He didn't know what had happened to the majority of his family.

Eli had no partner and no children. It was easy to tell he was the "baby" of the family because of his exuberant but expectant personality. He was used to getting his own way.

Tawny's sons were eight and six. Both Darius and Caleb seemed to be handling their mother's death as well as could be expected. Their care was split between Jocelyn and James's wife Meghan.

Meghan had been the biggest surprise for Grace. Grace wasn't a racist like Merle but she hadn't seen a lot of interracial couples either. It just wasn't how things were done where she was from. Though she knew that it was wrong to remove some of the blame from him, Merle was really only acting on things he had been taught from a young age. There was a definite segregation between blacks and whites. When the youngest girl had run up to Meghan calling her "Mommy", Grace had done a double take. No one else seemed to pay any attention though and she'd heard Rick telling off Merle about his use of slurs. He was right of course. There was no place left in the world where judgement would even remotely be an option. She was embarrassed for almost making an assumption based so much on old world stupidity.

James and Meghan had three children together and though the "baby" had her mother's eyes, it was clear that they were their father's children. The oldest was a ten year old boy named after his father but called Jamie or JJ. Keira was seven and she was nearly as shy as Sopha. The youngest of all the children was Seanassy, called Seany. She was only three and tried her best to keep up with the other children but was often left behind.

The family was close knit and determined. They'd suffered tragedy once before having all be uprooted when their homes were washed away during Hurricane Katrina. Tawny was already living in Georgia at the time trying to keep her boys away from her ex and welcomed everyone into her home. They'd later branched out into their own spaces but they had no trouble finding themselves all under one roof again.

The rest of the group consisted of Matt and his eighteen year old son, Gabe, who had been neighbours of Etta before everything happened; Jessie, her sister Sara, and Sara's son Max, who were abandoned by their group; and finally Christian and Joey who'd both managed to survive on their own and found their way to the Halverson home. Everyone shared beds and room and space but they were happy. There was a sense of peace here, like somehow despite everything that had happened, their spirits were still intact. There was none of the weariness that Grace had felt from her own group. These people were scared but contented for the most part. It was the feeling she missed since leaving the cabin, the family she had been trying to pull together from Daryl and Merle.

When supper was done, Matt brought out his guitar and he sang with his son until it started to get dark out. Grace and Sophia were given a couple of sleeping bags in the corner of the living room and settled in for the night. This is what they needed after the attack on the camp and the CDC blowing up. A home - someplace they could call their own and make work for them.

"And they're all going down to the creek to go swimming. Alisha is going to loan me a swimming suit. Can I go, please?" Sophia bounced from one foot to the other. Already the day was blisteringly hot, heat waves coming off the pavement of the road. An early morning swim before they set out seemed like a great way to help distract Sophia from waiting for Matt and Peter to come back from hunting. It was easier to hunt in the early morning when before the sun was at its highest and even the animals were hiding from the heat. When they got back, a group would be taking Grace and Sophia back to the highway. They were nervous about potentially running into the herd, but everyone agreed that the attempted reunion was necessary.

"Who's going with you?" Grace wanted to know. As much fun as she was sure the children would have, it was quite possible that their excitement would attract unwanted attention.

"Jocelyn, Meghan, and Joey. Please, pretty please. I promise to be good." Her big round eyes were begging and Grace couldn't bring herself to say no.

She nodded, grinning at the excited girl, "Yeah sure thing."

Sophia threw her arms around Grace's middle and squeezed her tightly. "Thank-you!" Then she raced off shouting to the other girl, "Hey, Alisha! Grace says I can come with!"

"She's easily excitable, isn't she?" Christian laughed, "You're lucky she's handling it so well."

Grace nodded, settling into one of the chairs that had been left out after dinner the night before. "I don't know how kids do it. They're so adaptable."

"She's lucky to have a mom that's so willing to protect her."

"Huh?" Grace shook her head frantically, "No, no, I'm not Sophia's mom. We're just travelling together. She, her mom that is, is with the group."

The blonde man nodded, "Sorry, I just assumed. You're good with her. She really looks up to you."

It hurt; the pain in Grace's chest was back suddenly. She hadn't had a chance to think of losing the baby since her and Sophia had become separated. To have someone mistake her for Sophia's mother brought her fantasies back to the surface. Christian was eyeing her now, waiting for some sort of appropriate response. "Thanks," she mumbled. "I guess with everyone being forced together during tragedy emotions are stronger."

"You have any kids?"

_Dig the knife a little deeper, why don't you,_ Grace wanted to shout at him but he had no way of knowing just what he was setting off inside her. "No," She sighed, "I didn't really have a relationship that I planned on bringing kids into before all of this happened. I mean there's Merle, but he doesn't really count."

"Merle? Your boyfriend?" Was that a hint of curiosity? Grace found herself searching Christian's face for just what game he was playing exactly. There was definitely something going on here. Was he simply curious or was he searching to see if she was available?

"His brother actually."

Sure enough, Christian's expression shifted slightly. "Oh, are they with the group?"

"I hope so. It's possible that in my absence they've both been thrown out. Anger issues sort of run in the family and I can't see Daryl handling me being missing so long well. Not sure about Merle but he's probably using this as an excuse to act out." Grace mentally crossed her fingers that she wouldn't need to all out reject the man's advances but he seemed accepting enough. The last thing she needed was Daryl getting jealous of some stranger paying her attention.

"Ah, sounds like quite the handful." He finished the last of his mug of coffee and gave her a parting nod, "Going to go check up on what Eli's doing with that truck."

Grace had braided Sophia's hair into two little French braids when the children came back from swimming. She didn't want the first time Carol saw her daughter again to be the girl with a serious case of rat's nest hair. Their entourage had gathered together almost immediately after the hunting party returned.

"Don't be strangers." Etta smiled and gave Grace a squeeze before turning to Sophia and pulling the little girl into her. "We've got plenty of room if you want to stick around for a while. Bring your people back here, maybe?"

Eli shook his head and laughed, "No we don't, Ma. Barely enough for us."

"Hush now, there's plenty for everyone. We need to come together at times like this."

"Let's get on the road." Peter called from the second truck. "The sooner we get there and back the safer I'll feel."

"Take care." Jocelyn patted Grace's shoulder.

"We will. Who knows, we could be back by tonight. We need somewhere to get our feet under us again." Grace smiled and put an arm around Sophia, steering the girl toward the truck. Everyone was on the front lawn waiting to see them off, even the children were quietly waiting. Alisha and Sophia had been clinging to each other all morning, not ready to be separated so soon after just finding each other. If they did plan on staying in the area for a while, this might be the best place to do it.

Grace helped Sophia up into the truck and then hopped up herself. She wanted to be back with Daryl before she made any choices though. He wouldn't like the thought of so many more people to feed and the bigger the group, the bigger the chance of losing someone. Then there was the thought of keeping Merle out of trouble. She'd talk with them about it though. Even a night or two might be enough.

The gravel crunched under the truck's tires as the two vehicles pulled back onto the main road and headed toward the highway again. The people they left behind were waving on the lawn still when they turned the corner and couldn't see them anymore. The farm faded away all too quickly but the realization of what it meant was only hitting her now. There was a farm and people. Lots of people. Plenty of survivors with children and they were willing to take in strangers. This couldn't just be luck could it? Maybe Jenner had been wrong and there really was hope for the future.

"Do you think my mom will still be at the cars?" Sophia's whisper broke through Grace's thoughts.

"What, oh, of course she will. She wouldn't leave without you."

The girl nodded but didn't seem too sure. "Daryl'll make them stay right? He wouldn't leave you behind. He'd fight 'em all!"

Grace leaned back against the seat and smiled, rubbing her stomach absently. The future. Daryl. The future for her and Daryl. "There's no way he'd leave."

This time as they approached the pile-up, Grace's eyes searched through the wreckage not for signs of death, but for signs of life. She wanted to see the other survivors. The RV parked at the front of the line with Dale sitting on top ready to point out their approach. Maybe Shane would be organizing the search through the vehicles for supplies. Carl would be worried sick and hanging off Lori. Lori would be making out as if it was her that was lost. Rick would be on a MISSON to SAVE THEM. Merle was probably looking for pills. Daryl wouldn't be right there in the cars though, he'd be in the woods, leaving no stone unturned while he tracked them through the underbrush. He wouldn't want anyone to come with him but maybe he'd have brought Merle to keep the other man out of trouble. Maybe he'd found the walkers that had come after them. If they found the church, they might have slept there but they'd be back to the highway at first light. It was their only landmark to speak of.

Driving through the first cars, Grace spotted the RV right away. It was still here. Nothing around it moved though, the cars as still as the coffins they were acting as. Not even a walker shambled through.

"That's it." Grace pointed out a familiar U-Haul that had been near where the group had stopped. Matt nodded, waving his arm out the window to silently signal the other vehicle. Both pulled alongside the big truck and parked.

There was no one here.

Peter jumped out of the other truck, gun at the ready and searched the area. He circled around the side of a half destroyed car before gesturing wildly, pointing to something just out of sight.

"What's he doing, Grace?" Sophia's brow had furrowed, her eyes narrowing with concern. Where was everyone?

Grace shook her head, "Not sure but I think we're alright to get out." She looked to Matt for reassurance and he bobbed his head in agreement.

"Looks that way. Come on ladies, let's find out what's happening."

The three got out of the truck and walked over join the man. From the other vehicle Marco and Charlene joined them looking off to where Peter was staring.

GRACE & SOPHIA

STAY HERE!

WE WILL COME EVERYDAY!

Blocky white lettering baked on to the back window of an abandoned car. There was a small pile of supplies sitting on the trunk, a blanket, a flashlight, a couple bottles or water, some Gatorade, a jar of peanut butter, and Shane's honey. She had to wonder who wrangled that away from him. The MREs weren't going to last long. How was he going to show he was protesting Daryl's contributions to camp if he didn't have his honey and hot water?

"Seems you were right. They are looking for you still." Marco scratched his head, the white words were making Grace's throat tight. Where were they though? Where had they gone that they were coming back here? Something had happened. There was no way that Daryl would leave unless something had happened and was forced to go somewhere else. She tried to put a face to the writing on the window before realizing that there was no way she could identify even half of the group's handwriting. She'd never even seen the majority hold a pen, let alone write with one. Definitely not Daryl's or Merle's, that was for sure! The printing said "Grace" not "Gracie" and she doubted Merle knew Sophia's name. He wouldn't bother leaving a note nor could he manage to print the letters so clearly if he did. Daryl on the other hand just wouldn't bother; it was too much like admitting a sign of weakness. She knew not to expect bold statements from him. Almost everything with Daryl went unsaid.

Probably Carol or Lori, the printing could almost be feminine. It was Rick or Shane that suggested the food supplies, and definitely Rick who who would have suggested leaving them out in the open.

That they were still here spoke volumes. No one else had passed through since they had. Maybe it was the herd of walkers or maybe running into another group of survivors was pure dumb luck. Grace and Sophia had to count their blessings that the group they had run into wasn't a bunch of psychos. Though you had to be at least _a little_ bit nuts to survive in this mess of a world.

Marco picked up the bottle of Gatorade and cracked the seal, tipping his head back for a deep swig. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand. "Guess we wait now, huh?"

"We should check these cars. See if there's anything that got missed." Peter nodded. "That'll pass the time while we wait."

Charlene frowned, "Are we sure that's a good plan? Last people who came through here got split up 'cause of those maggot buffets running around. We oughta stick close to each other. Keep an eye out."

Peter cast a glance around the cars. "We've got quite a bit of cover here..."

"That also means we might not spot 'em." The woman shook her braids violently. "I'm not doing that."

From the back of his truck, Matt pulled out a long barreled shotgun and tossed it at Charlene. "You stand watch then." The woman scowled but didn't disagree.

"Sophia," Grace turned to the girl. "You stay in the car here. Anything happens and you shut the door and pull the blanket over your head. Understand me?" She pressed the blanket into the girl's arms, steering her effectively toward the backseat of the car. The last thing they needed was a repeat incident of the herd that passed through.

Grace didn't have a clock of any kind to tell her how much time had passed since they had arrived at the pile-up. The trucks were starting to fill though, these people didn't waste any sort of time debating on if they might need something or not. If an item had even the smallest bit of value, then in it went. Sophia was doing a good job staying put inside the car. She hadn't moved more than the couple of square feet inside the vehicle since Grace had plopped her down inside it.

"I think we should start heading out soon." Marco was sorting through the things in the back of the truck, rearranging them so they could be covered with tarps they had found in the back of a pick-up. There were still a lot of supplies hidden in the cars. Maybe when all this was over both groups could split the remainder. That was all dependant on what was going to happen though. There had been no signs of anyone approaching. In this heat, everything was slowly wilting. Marco was right, though Grace didn't want to admit it. They needed to go back soon. Sophia must have been baking in the car but she was quiet.

"Grace?" Matt frowned, "Would you be okay with that?"

Sophia looked up, eyes panicked. Frantically she started to shake her head. Grace gave her a small smile. "Let's wait another fifteen minutes or so. Give them a little more time."

Marco growled, "It's too hot. We need to move on before things get any worse out here. Sun's already frying everything like bacon." He crossed his arms. "I don't want to be next." Matt threw something at the other man, who threw up his hands in defence and caught it. Marco scowled at him offended and looked down at the bottle of water in his hands. "The hell?"

"Drink something if you're going to fry. You can last fifteen more minutes."

"Might not have to," Charlene raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "Does that look like a car you know?"

It didn't. Grace had no idea who owned the little brown car that was driving toward them now. She had never seen the car before. Then again, it was possible that someone had simply taken a new car because something happened to one of the other vehicles. "I don't know whose car that is. Could be that they got a new vehicle though."

Peter cocked his gun, "Makes sense, but we should be careful just in case."

Grace still had her handgun in the waistband of her jeans and she pulled it out. "Sophia," she called out and the little girl stuck her head out from the car. "Lock the doors and get under that blanket now, you hear me?" Sophia disappeared into the car, pulling the door shut behind her. Grace heard the lock click into place. She just hoped the girl had the good sense to stay hidden if anything went wrong. Squeezing the grip of the gun tighter, Grace prepared herself for the inevitable, whoever was in this car, they were going to be right on them very soon.

Swerving through the pile-up, the car headed straight toward them, either because it had spotted the people or because it was headed for the car with the writing on it. No matter what the reason, it crawled closer and closer. Grace clutched her gun until the vehicle seemed to slow. Suddenly the passenger door flew open. The car was still rolling forward, but Carol threw herself out of the vehicle and bolted toward Grace.

"Grace? GRACE! Where is she? Where's Sophia? Isn't she with you? Where's my baby?" Tears were already rolling down the grey-haired woman's face as she reached Grace.

Grace caught her as she lurched forward, slumping against Grace completely defeated and sobbing hard into Grace's shoulder. "Carol, it's alright, she's alright."

The brown car parked and Glenn crawled out of the backseat. From the driver's side, a woman with short dark hair stepped forward, effectively cutting off Glenn as he was trying to hurry over to Grace. The Asian fell into step behind the woman, slinking like a kicked dog. "You Grace?" The woman shouted.

"Yeah, who're you?"

"Maggie Greene. Your group's been staying at my daddy's farm. Where's the little girl?"

Grace smiled, "Didn't know your car, so she's hiding. I didn't want anything to happen to her."

Carol let out another sob, this time of relief and confusion. "She's alright?"

"I said that already," Grace reassured. "I kept her safe."

"It's been four days. Merle... Merle said you'd both be dead. He was shouting at Daryl this morning. Said there was no use looking anymore because there was no way you'd still be alive. He called you ghosts. He told Daryl he was chasing ghosts. Where is she? Where's Sophia? Sophia? Mommy's here! Sophia!"

Sophia must have been able to hear her mother's wailing from inside the car because she threw the door open and jumped from the vehicle. The blanket that had been hiding her dropped to the ground as she ran across the scorching pavement. "MOM!" The little girl threw her arms around Carol, nearly knocking Grace out of the way as the mother and daughter celebrated. The two embraced tightly, both of them crying and babbling to the other.

Carol turned to Grace after the reunion had died down a little bit. There were tracks through the dust on her cheeks and her eyes were glassy with more tears but Carol's smile could have melted ice caps. "Thank you," she sighed at Grace, every note her tone hit was one of reverence, "Thank you for bringing her back. I don't know how I could have dealt with it if she... Thank you." Carol removed one arm from around her daughter and wiped her face with her palms.

Behind them, Glenn was shaking his head, hat in his hands, completely thrown to see Grace and Sophia alive. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Grace's face creased with confusion.

"Survive -out there- on your own. How did you do it?"

She just shrugged, "I dunno. We ran and hid, and then we walked. When we ran into walkers we killed them or tricked them. They're actually not that hard to handle."

"They're not?" Glenn laughed that nervously and pointed at Grace, "Did you hear her? She says they're not that hard to handle. Are you crazy?" He shook his head at her skeptically. "Are you certifiably crazy?"

"Glenn, shut it." Maggie scowled. "She don't need you tellin' everyone she's crazy."

"Sorry," he mumbled, shrinking in on himself.

Maggie narrowed her eyes and stared hard at the four people who had brought Grace and Sophia back to the highway. "Do I know you?"

It was Charlene who spoke up, "Your daddy's the vet, ain't he?" Maggie frowned and nodded. "He put down our mom's cat a couple of years back. You folks had us over for dinner because your step-mom felt bad when she found out we brought him from Louisiana with us."

That was all the information that Maggie needed, "The Kennedy farm, right?"

"Yeah, we're all staying there now."

"All of you?"

"Those of us who made it," Peter finished. "We lost some people and found some more. I'd say we're getting close to twenty of us soon. That about right?"

Matt nodded, "Sounds right to me. It's hard nowadays to know who you can trust. Not everyone's gonna give you the shirt off his back."

"You can say that again," Marco put his arm around Charlene and she leaned into the touch. "It's nice knowing there's still good people out there."

"Good knowing anyone's out there."

The group lapsed into silence and looked down at Sophia snuggled into her mother's arms. It wasn't hard to think about how beautiful the sight was, mother and child together again. There was hope in it, a sense of peace that came over everyone. All these people brought together to help reunite a family.

Marco was right though, it was getting hot out on the highway and the longer they were out there, they the more likely they would attract something. They started to move toward their own vehicles after a few moments, exchanging parting thanks and warm wishes. Grace felt nervous little butterflies starting in her stomach the second they started to pull away from the traffic snarl. Whatever scheme Merle had been cooking up in her absence? She didn't like the sound of Daryl chasing ghosts. Was his faith in her so weak? Did Merle really not believe that she was capable of making in on her own? She was nowhere near as prepared for this world as Daryl and he were but she could manage well enough.

Well she'd show him. She wanted to see the look of shock on Merle smug, stupid face when she got out of that car and presented her young charge to the rest of them safe and sound. Then he could eat his words and maybe respect her as a little more than the wedge between his brotherly bond with Daryl. Just when she thought maybe Merle was coming around, he had to pull a stunt like this one.

"Is that it?" Sophia was pressed excitedly against the window. Carol had taken the middle seat so her daughter could have a better view. Tucked into her corner of the car, Grace found herself staring down this new woman, Maggie.

Maggie was smiling as Sophia's exuberance. "Yeah, that's the farm. See the stables over there? I'll take you riding if your mom says it's alright. Got a nice little pony who'd be perfect for you." She looked to Carol and they shared a nod. "Tomorrow morning maybe. I think Carl might want a visit before you start getting horseback riding lessons. Poor kid's stuck in the house all day."

"What exactly happened to him?"

"Bullet broke up. There was internal bleeding. You'll have to ask Dad when we get there if you want to know more." Maggie shrugged. "All I know is things are looking up now that the kid's awake."

"Consciousness is a good sign of recovery," Grace confirmed. "He'll probably be very tired when you see him," she told Sophia. "Just be as calm as you can. Don't get him over excited."

Maggie gave a small laugh, "That's just what Dad said to Shane. He started Carl going on about hunting deer to make up for the one they left when he got shot. I thought Dad was going to kick him right out of the house. That was right about when Merle started shouting at your man. Distracted everyone enough to make Carl forget all about the deer."

Grace rolled her eyes, "Sorry about him. I'll try to shorten his leash a little bit once we get settled in. He's a pain in my..." she looked quickly at Carol whose expression clearly dared Grace to say the wrong thing. "bum." Grace amended. "But I'm stuck with him."

"Probably have a hard time getting rid of him and keeping Daryl around, huh?"

"You can say that again. You don't get one Dixon without taking home the whole lot of them."

Maggie laughed, "Sounds like family. I feel bad about it now but Shawn and I weren't exactly nice to Jimmy when Beth brought him home. I think that kid damn near peed his pants. Had to make sure he knew his place."

"You treat him alright now though right?"

"Yeah, he's a good kid. Good head on his shoulders, his heart's in the right place."

Grace gave a forced laugh, "The thing about Merle is that he's been doing this to me since Daryl and I were still friends. He can't care for anyone but himself and getting his own way. After a decade of knowing someone you'd think you might get over a little of your pettiness. Not him though. Merle just keeps going."

Maggie clicked her tongue sympathetically, "That sucks. It's gotta hurt to not have someone's approval. Trust takes time but the way you're talking, Merle's got walls you just can't tear down."

"Maybe," Glenn blurted, "Maybe Merle's gotta stop being scared and let people in. He's got nothing to be scared of. Maybe if he just gave someone a chance who was trying he'd find out that things aren't really so bad after all." The Asian's voice was harsh, determined to get his point across.

"Glenn," Grace questioned, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just trying to make a- a point, see? Chances, it's all about chances." Angrily, he crossed his arms and glared out the passenger window.

Nobody had any answer for that because no one really knew what was going on. There was an awkward moment of quiet before Maggie cleared her throat, "You two can both take a hot shower and get some clean clothes on. Grace, your stuff is in Daryl's truck still. Merle apparently wanted to move it somewhere else to make room, but Daryl wouldn't let him."

Yup, that sounded like Merle. He couldn't stay out of anything that Daryl was doing without commenting on it. Grace almost wished she didn't have to go back to him and all his drama. For a moment she regretted him not being left up there on the roof. If walkers ate him, that would be one less thing for her to worry about. She felt guilty almost the second she thought it. She needed to get over her bitterness toward Merle. They were stuck with him at this point and if she didn't get herself under control ,he would be the death of her. Grace plastered on a fake smile and nodded, "A shower would be great. I can't believe that you still have power."

"Yeah, the generator is going to run out sooner or later but we'll use it as long as we can." Maggie started going on about all the features that had needed to adapt at the farm since this thing started spreading. Grace's head fell against the window and she listened quietly, making all the right sounds to tell Maggie she was still listening. The drive all the way around the fields was a long one. She got a good look at the camp the group had set up under the trees. There was a good chunk of cleared land surrounding the farm, plenty of space to see something approaching from a long way off. There was even a herd of cows scattered through the fields. This place seemed like a perfect haven, and even if things didn't work out here, then they always had a place to stay at the other crowded house. So many people so close. Suddenly it felt like the world's population had doubled over night.

"Well I'll be," Dale's eyes were wide as Grace stepped out of the car. "And Sophia?"

"She's here too." Grace smiled. Carol helped her daughter from the vehicle and "Where's everyone else?"

The old man started laughing happily, "All out looking for you! Well Merle's in his tent and Claire's up with Hershel's family in the house but Rick's got everyone out combing the grid. They find you up at the pile-up?"

Grace nodded, "We got a ride though. Found another group that was willing to take us back there. Just stayed with them the one night though."

"I'm taking Sophia to Hershel." Carol spoke up, she had a hand protectively holding her daughter close to her. "I want her to have a proper meal and get cleaned up. Bathroom's yours after that, Grace."

"Thanks, Carol." Grace smiled at the other woman, "I want to go find a change of clothes. It'll be nice to be out of these ones. They're filthy."

"You'd better sit down after you're cleaned up and explain what happened to you two. I'm sure everyone will be curious."

Grace walked to the truck quickly, wanting to get out of the clothes she was wearing as soon as possible. She wanted something lighter than her jeans. She was back, they were safe and soon she'd be back with Daryl. He was probably distraught, especially if Merle had been fighting with him. The last thing he needed to see on top of that was her wearing travel worn clothes with mud under her fingernails. A nice shower would get rid of all the dirt and make her feel human again, not to mention maybe if she didn't look like she'd spend a couple of days running for her life, then Daryl would be able to accept that she had put herself at risk by leaving the way she did.

Maggie was right, Grace's things were just where she had left them in the back of the truck. She was rooting through her suitcase when there was a startled growl behind her.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ! Gracie, is that you?"

"Hello, Merle." Grace turned, hands on her hips to face him.

The big man gave his head a rough shake then brought a hand up to rub his eyes. "'M high? Coulda sworn I didn't take nuthin' but there ya are." Again he shook his head. "Holy fuck, yer really here ain't cha?"

"In the flesh, though I hear you gave up on me. Told Daryl I was dead."

"Ya shoulda been. We looked all fuckin' night. It was damn near sunrise when Daryl an' I got back ta the highway. Figured ya'da made it back there since we didn't see nothin' uh ya. But ya weren't there and ya weren't there the next day neither. Then the kid got hisself shot and we ended up here. How long would ya figure one woman and a little girl could last on their own?" He scowled, eyes dark with determination. "I did what I had ta ta protect muh brother, you hear me." Merle raised an accusing finger. "Told ya already that ya fuck with his head. Ya know what he'd do if we couldn't find ya? He'd keep lookin'. Hell he's out there lookin' right now! He'd get hisself killed lookin' for yer sorry ass even if it did get eaten up by some undead sumbitch. Don't ya judge me, Gracie. I did what I had ta. Ya wasn't fuckin' here and I had ta step in. You got no idea." He sighed, dropping his arms to his sides defeated. "No idea."

"Merle?" His voice was fading fast, like he was moving away from the conversation.

"Got some nerve runnin' off the way ya did." Slowly his mouth formed a watery smile. "Stupid bitch." The derogatory term came out as an endearment. "Can't tell if Darylina's gonna be more pleased to have ya back or pissed 'cause he didn't save ya himself."

"I'd like to think he'll just be happy to see me. Maybe enough so to forget that I ran off."

"I'll say. Ya brought that kid back with ya right?"

Grace smiled and nodded. Merle didn't actually hate her. It was possible that it was actually the opposite. If he really hadn't cared about her then he wouldn't have spent an entire night out looking for her and he certainly wouldn't be close to breaking over her return. "Brought back all the pieces, but they might have to get that vet to put her back together." She laughed at her own joke. "She's in the house getting cleaned up with her mom. She'll probably go visit Carl afterwards. Can't believe I managed to keep her safe on my own for four days and with a whole group of you to protect him, Carl got shot."

"It's Grimes' kid, wha'd'ya expect? Ya seen his mother. Kid's got stupid genes."

"That's terrible."

Merle just shrugged. "Least you made it back a'right. How the fuck'd ya do it?"

"Just did I guess. Maybe I'm tougher than you like to think I am."

"Guess there's no way 'round admitting that now. I can give credit where it's due." He leaned up against the truck and slid out his pack of cigarettes. Grace could see there were only a couple of the little sticks left. Merle wet his lips and stuck one between them. "Way I was seeing it, ya ain't never had no experience out there without nobody watchin' ya. Shoulda figured if ya can handle being stuck 'round Dixons this long, a couple uh geeks won't be 'nuff ta take ya down." Merle pulled out his lighter and flicked it to get the flame going. He took a deep drag and turned away from her to exhale. "Daryl's gonna be pleased ta get ya back in one piece." He said, staring off out to the trees.

There was no eye contact. It was like Merle couldn't look her in the eyes while he said it. Grace wondered if maybe it wasn't just Daryl that would be happy to have her back. Maybe Merle had missed her just a little bit too, underneath all his bullshit about abandoning the camp.

As the search parties came back one by one, Grace was surprised by the reception she received from each of them. Even Shane gave her a welcoming hug, a smile plastered across his face. Rick and T-Dog both wore matching smiles and boasted loudly about how they were sure that she was still alive the whole time. Rick's statement was more general, but T-Dog's was clearly directed at Merle who was standing off to the side and smoking a rolled cigarette. Andrea had gotten very emotional and drawn both Sophia and Grace into tight terrifying hugs. Even Hershel's family joined them in celebrating the reunion. They had apparently heard nothing but stories about her and Sophia for the past few days.

It wasn't long after everyone had returned that Carol got permission from Maggie to cook a huge meal and Beth, Maggie's younger sister, and Patricia, the family's neighbour, helped out. Seeing as the celebration was partly for her, Grace was forbidden from entering the kitchen and found herself banished from the house. The only other woman outside was Andrea, who was keeping watch on top of the RV. Even Claire was being held hostage in the house, although she seemed to have taken a liking to Beth and the two teens were gossiping in the kitchen.

"How'd you manage to skip out on kitchen duty?" Grace shouted as she approached the RV. Some of the heat of the day was starting to fade and her light summer dress was comfortable in the remaining heat, the light breeze keeping the bottom of the skirt moving against her legs.

Andrea cracked a smile, "Told Lori I was tired of kitchen duty. Guess you're not in there because it's your feast, huh?"

"It's not really my feast. It's for all of them." Grace smiled back. "They're distracting themselves from everything that's happened. Mind if I come up for a bit? I'd rather be on look out than making extra work for myself." When Andrea nodded her approval, Grace pulled herself up the ladder of the RV and plunked down on the hot roof. "You can see almost everything from up here can't you?"

"I like it." The blonde woman stared out over the fields and forest. "Makes me feel like I'm doing something productive. Something that will really make a difference."

"Not to mention that we can't let the men have all the fun." They shared a quick look of understanding before Grace gave herself and became more serious. "Um, I was really coming out here because I knew you'd at least be honest with me if I asked."

Andrea pursed her lips, "what's this about?"

Grace sighed. She needed someone's honest opinion of what was going on. Everyone was walking on eggshells around her, as if they were waiting for her to snap after her ordeal. She might not have had a fun time out there on her own but Grace knew better than to let it get to her. She was back now and with any luck Daryl would be back soon too. There was just one small thing still standing between her and complete relaxation: Merle. "It's about Merle."

Andrea's face betrayed all her emotions, the strongest of which seemed to currently be, "Oh shit."

"Um," Grace stumbled to get herself going. "I know he's not your responsibility or anything and that you probably didn't spend much time around him, but I wanted someone who wouldn't lie to make me feel better. How's he been the last few days? I'm worried about him being a problem and I don't want him to use this situation as an excuse for being a shitty person."

The other woman squinted and turned to look back out over the field. "You know I don't like him right?"

"I know," Grace nodded her head hard, "That's why I'm asking you. You're not going to lie to me just to make me feel better if you actually think he's a problem. You're going to tell me because it's actually what's best for the group. I'd ask Shane but I can't see him understanding what I'm talking about."

"I get that, I guess," Andrea made a small humming sound, "How has Merle been the past few days? Abrasive? It's like he's always trying to start a fight with someone especially Daryl. He's been on Daryl's case majorly since they got back from looking for you two the first night."

"They were really out all night?"

"Yeah, I sort of wondered if they hadn't taken off. Left completely, you know. It's not as if they liked staying with the group. When they got back though, Daryl was crazy. He just kept screaming at Rick, saying how he shouldn't have left you and demanding to know how no one had noticed you getting chased until you took off. That was when Merle started laying it into him. They punched each other around some until Shane and Rick broke it up. Freaked everyone out to see them wailing on each other."

That made Grace uneasy. If it was a constant thing for them to have been fighting then no one would want to have them around anymore. Merle was already a liability. At least Daryl pulled his weight at camp by hunting and he mostly tried to avoid being the one to start fights. How long would he and Merle have survived without her there to act as a barrier between them and the group? "And after that fight?"

"Mostly verbal. I'd say they both realized that Shane would put a stop to them if he thought they were a threat to the rest of the group. Or maybe Daryl realized that and that's why he put so much effort into proving Merle wrong about you being dead. I mean he's out there now and Merle here moping around camp about how 'we ain't moved on yet'."

"But he hadn't been fighting with people or causing a lot of trouble around camp."

Andrea seemed to be looking for the right words as she slowly shook her head, "He seems almost... Subdued? I don't know if that makes sense. It's like something's taken a good piece out of his attitude. He's still Merle and he's an asshole but he's watered down." Her face twisted in confusion, "Claire's been hanging around him a lot. They won't eat with the rest of us and she brings their dishes back to camp and washes up after them."

"He's taking advantage of her."

"That's what I thought but she seems... comfortable somehow? More so than she is with the other men in camp."

"Merle did hang around her family. I'll keep an eye on them," Andrea had fallen silent as Grace was talking, her eyes trained firmly on the trees. Grace followed her line of sight to a figure standing just in the shadows, "Crap, is that what I think it is?"

"Walker," Andrea stood, eyes darting wildly. "Walker!" She shouted a little louder, reaching for her gun.

"Just the one." Rick called back. He seemed calm, after getting Sophia and Grace back this was nothing they couldn't handle.

Andrea reached for her binoculars to check, "There's only one. I bet I can nail it from here."

"No, Andrea, put the gun down." Rick waved his hand as the men started going for weapons.

Shane limped his way out of his tent and grabbed a pickaxe that he apparently had at the ready. "Best let us handle this." He said, leading T-Dog toward the walker.

"Shane," Rick protested. "Hershel wants to deal with walkers."

"What for, man?" Shane didn't seem fazed by his friend's protesting. "We got it covered." He kept moving, Glenn falling into step as well.

As Rick watch the three moving toward the walker he swore and ran for the RV and probably his weapon.

"I really could hit it." The blonde woman beside her was insistent but Grace put a hand on Andrea's arm.

"Let the men be men. Next one that comes close can be yours. I think they need something to feel masculine seeing as I made it back on my own."

Rick burst out of the RV and jogged to catch up with the group. The four men were close now. Andrea ignored Grace and raised the gun. "It's not far. I could just -"

"Andrea?" The men started to slow the closer they got. For whatever reason they didn't run right into challenging the walker even with though their weapons were drawn and ready. "There's something wrong..."

"Yeah that walker. I've got this." The blonde's voice was smug.

Dale was hanging from the ladder below them, "Andrea don't."

"Back off Dale." Andrea grinned and pulled the trigger.

The pop went off too close to Grace, she barely had time to prepare herself. Instantly the figure dropped and Rick started shouting loudly.

"ANDREA!" Grace bellowed. She picked up the binoculars from where Andrea had tossed them on the chair. "That's... Oh god!" through the magnification she was beginning to recognize the figure that Rick was trying to pull off the ground. "That's Daryl. Oh shit, Andrea..." Her stomach plummeted and she struggled to contain herself as she bolted down the ladder. Feet flying she ran across the field, getting there just as Rick was checking Daryl over.

"Grace," Shane reached out to catch her but she pushed him away.

Falling to her knees beside the two men, she found her hand pressing against the scrape on his temple. "Is he?"

Slowly Daryl's eyes cracked open, he blinked once and then the corner of his mouth twisted up. "Grace? That you?"

She nodded, finding it difficult to form words with her throat full of tears. "Yeah," she cleared her throat, "Yeah it's me."

"Still out there. Alive. I told Merle. I told him." Daryl's eyes rolled back and his head lolled forward against his chest.

"Damn it, Daryl." Grace clutched him, her fingers catching in the shoelaces knotted around his neck. She had to bite back her scream when she noticed the ears hanging off of it. "What the fuck happened to him?"

"He's unconscious." Rick offered unhelpfully.

"I can see that. He's filthy, covered in blood, and he smells like a lake. Didn't you say he took a horse?" Grace struggled to pull the necklace off of him. Part of her was disgusted but he'd kept them for a reason and she did feel the need to hold on to them for him. Daryl didn't usually just go out in a wife beater. Once or twice he'd come home like that when he was roofing and the sun had burned down on him all day but usually when he was heading home he'd pull his shirt back on. Outside of the moment, Daryl's shyness about his body persisted. Her fingers found the extra material knotted around his waist and crusted with more blood. "He's bound some kind of wound here."

"A bite?" Leave it to Shane to voice the question that everyone wanted the answer too but was too polite to ask.

"Can't tell. I'd have to take the binding off and I don't want it more filled with dirt. I think the bleeding's stopped at least," She shook her head and tried to peel back the smallest bit of dressing to see but it was tied too tightly. "I doubt he'd come back to camp with a bite. He'd shoot himself first."

"We'll take him in to Hershel." Rick began to pull Daryl upwards, dragging him just the slightest bit away from Grace. "You two can have a look at him in the house. He needs to get cleaned up."

Slowly Grace nodded and pulled back enough to allow Rick the room to lift Daryl to his feet. Shane came around the other side and caught him under the arm as well. At the farm house everyone had run outside and was staring trying to figure out what happened. From his side of the camp Merle stumbled into view.

"The fuck!" He bellowed. "That Daryl? The fuck ya'd do ta my brother?"

Grace shook her head and raised a hand to try and reassure the panicking man. "He'll be fine, Merle. He'll be fine." She swallowed her tears back and mumbled to herself, "He's gotta be."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Daryl began to regain consciousness as Rick and Shane laid him out on a bed in an upstairs guest room. It could have been that the shock of being shot had finally worn off or maybe even Merle's screaming that brought him back. Merle had been banished from the house and was currently in the yard cursing and hollering while Carol and Patricia tried their best to calm him. Hershel had insisted that he not be allowed in the house under any circumstances.

For his part, Daryl was playing the part of victim pretty well for once. "Tha fuck," he gasped, swallowing hard, eyes still half closed, "Tha fuck ya shoot me for?"

"I'm sorry about that, Daryl. Truly." Rick leaned down to Daryl's level. "There was a bit of a mix up, what with you stumbling out of the woods like that and our current surroundings. It was a case of mistaken identity."

"Still fuckin' shot me." He turned away from the sheriff, seeming to hide his disappointment in the group.

Grace could understand where Daryl was coming from, after all it was him that had said they needed to trust these people and that it would be safer to be part of a group. He was feeling betrayed right now.

"Daryl, what happened?" Grace pushed against the men blocking her view of the bed.

"Think we should let Hershel take a look at him before we start asking too many questions," Shane squinted. "That man don't look too good and you've been through enough. Don't need to see him like this."

"I'll look after him." She shook her head. It wouldn't be the first time she'd patched Daryl up after he'd come home from some accident. Neither he nor Merle was big on doctors and proper medical treatment. It probably had something to do with being brought up to hide their abuse and told that in order to be a man, they had to tough through the pain. The first aid kit she'd compiled purely for use on Dixon-type injuries was impressive... and still sitting outside in the truck. "Someone needs to get me my stuff out of the truck though. Judging by the amount of blood, he'll probably need stitches."

"Hershel can help."

"Hershel doesn't need to." The retort could have been cleverer but she had caught sight of Daryl's face. No longer was he fighting losing consciousness again. His eyes were wide now, blinking rapidly as he tried to focus on her.

"Grace?" Everyone in the room froze, locking onto the man on the bed. "Yer real?" Daryl made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a whimper. "Yer really here?"

Grace felt her eyes start to fill with tears and even the arm Shane put up to stop her couldn't hold her back. She crawled onto the bed and across the floral bedding to Daryl. "I'm back. I'm here, I promise."

His hand came up to cup her cheek, fingers running across her skin down her shoulder and pressing lightly into the muscle. The journey of his fingers was testing, making sure there was substance beyond what his eyes were seeing. "Yer here." Daryl sighed confirming that she was in fact next to him on the bed. He yanked on her arm with surprising force, grunting as she fell forward onto his chest. "I looked fuckin' e'erywhere." His breath came out harsh and she knew she was crushing his injured side, but Daryl was holding her so tightly that she didn't have the heart to pull away. "Couldn't find ya. No matter where, I couldn't find ya."

"Let's give them some time." Rick whispered behind them and Grace heard the shuffling of boots across the floorboards and then the door clicked. Daryl must have heard it too because he pulled her up, seeking out her mouth blindly and forcing her head down to crush painfully against his. Their teeth clicked together and she was certain that her lying on top of him had to be causing him serious pain, but it didn't seem to hold off Daryl as he continued his assault.

"Yer really here." Daryl repeated when he finally pulled back.

Grace struggled out of his embrace to lay on her side, still pressed against him but no longer allowing him to take her full weight on his injury. "I am."

"An' the kid?"

"She's with her mom."

"Merle..."

Grace laughed and gave Daryl a quick kiss to let him know she didn't hold anything his brother had said in her absence against Daryl. "I've already had a talk with Merle. He's not used to people coming back much is he?"

"No one who ever lef' 'fore came back an' there weren't nothin' stoppin' 'em like there is now. Odds were pretty shitty." His fingers were caught up in her shirt, pressing her close to him. "I's been four days. Figured I really was chasin' ghosts."

"Still alive and kicking." She gave a little wiggle and he winced. "Sorry. Forgot about that." She reached up and used her thumb to rub the blood running down the side of his face off. "What happened to you though?"

"Stupid fuckin' horse. Thing starts buckin' an' goes totally apeshit over a little rattler. Threw me off and I went down this hill. Landed on one uh muh arrows and los' tha rest. Nearly lost the bow too but I pulled 'er outta tha water with a stick. Then I had ta crawl back up ta tha top."

"Holy crap! No wonder you look like shit."

Daryl gave a snort of disapproval, "Thanks." He seemed almost offended by her comment. "See, that weren't the end of it. Fell down the hill 'gain and knocked muhself out fer a bit. Woke-up to some bastard gnawin' on my boot. Two of 'em came at me an' I had ta pull tha arrow out. Once that was over, I jus' walked home."

Grace's eyebrows shot up. "You pulled the arrow out of your side? Do you know how much damage you could do pulling a stunt like that? Shirt off, I need to see the wound now." She reached over and began to untie his makeshift dressing. "You're going to have a brutal infection if we don't get that cleaned. Was it at least one of the hunting arrows or do I have to worry about you turning into one of those things as well?"

"Can't remember." Daryl looked down sheepishly. "Weren't really thinking 'bout that once it was stuck through me."

There was mud crusted in the creases of the fabric that rained down onto the bed in little chunks as she peeled it away from Daryl shirt. "You're filthy." She dropped the mess of plaid, mud and blood over the side of the bed. That shirt was ruined, he'd cut it – or more likely torn it - to pieces to put pressure on the wound. Underneath there was a clear rip through the wife beater surrounded by blood. He grunted as she helped him out of the undershirt but didn't complain further than that. When she got a decent look at the wound, she squeezed her eyes closed and took a deep breath. "The hell did you do to yourself," she muttered opening her eyes again to consider the jagged edges more closely. Had he left the arrow alone she wouldn't be looking at half the damage she was now. "Get up." She pulled his arm, helping him into a sitting position.

"Wha's a matter?"

"I'm putting you in the bathtub to wash up before we get any more dirt into this." There was too much dried blood and other things in and around the wound to really see the damage.

Daryl swung his feet around and staggered upwards with little coordination. Grace caught him by the arm as he swayed on his feet and scrambled to stand beside him. He must have been really feeling his injuries because the moment she was on her feet, he began to lean against her. Carefully, Grace adjusted him so she could take as much of the pressure off of him as she could bear. They walked slowly across the room to the door, Daryl hissing the whole way but not uttering a word of complaint.

In the hall, Hershel was sitting in a small dining chair that was pressed against the wall, flanked on either side by Shane and Rick. Daryl pulled back just the slightest into the room when he saw them but Grace kept a steadying hand on his back.

"How's he doing?"

"He needs to get washed up before I can do anything else." Grace insisted. "And I'd like some fresh sheets in that room if we can manage it."

Rick nodded and looked at Shane, who huffed and went storming off toward the stairs only to bump into Lori who was walking up them. "We need clean sheets." He grunted at her and Rick's wife sent him a death glare.

"I got the first aid stuff like you asked. Walked all the way out to that stupid truck. I'm not your errand girl."

"Lori," Grace's voice had bite to it and the other woman turned sharply to stare with wide eyes at her audience. "Shut-up."

Lori blinked for a moment and then seemed to regain a fraction of her composure. "Grace. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just... is Daryl okay?"

"Will be once ya stop whinin', woman." Daryl groaned and Grace had to stop herself from smiling.

"I'm going to get him washed up and then tend to his injuries. We'll see how he's doing after that." She gave Lori a pointed look. "Some clean sheets could help stave off a little bit of the infection though. If it's not too much trouble."

The tips of Lori's ears went pink and she squeezed her lips tightly together. Carefully she passed over the first aid kit to Shane and took a step backwards. "I'll just... I go see what I can find." She turned around on the stairs and hurried back down them.

Grace nodded, before helping Daryl a step further out of the room. The two walked toward the bathroom with the three other men following at a reasonably respectful distance. When Grace got to the doorway of the bathroom, she helped Daryl inside and leaned him against the counter. Turning back to the group, she held out her hand and Shane passed over the first aid kit. "I'll call if we need anything," promised Grace as she carefully closed the door in their faces.

Daryl was wincing against the counter when she turned back to him. "That woman is stupider than a pile uh bricks." He grumbled, on hand clutching tightly to his side.

"Fingers out." Grace scolded, walking to the tub and putting in the plug right away. She didn't want to waste a drop of water. Who knew how much energy it used to pump the water up from the well into the house and to heat it. When she turned around, Daryl had already unbuttoned his jeans and was slowly sliding down out of them, pain flashing across his features with each shift. "Let me help." She insisted and together they removed the fabric. Bits of leaves, twigs, and mud settled on the floor around them. Grace would have to ask for a broom to sweep up after everything was done. They made a mess everywhere they went. Daryl's skin was clammy, even in the heat, and Grace helped him into the warm water as soon as he was fully naked. He sank into the tub with a sigh, the water around him already changing colour.

Grace stopped the water and went searching around the room for a clean washcloth. She found some in a wicker basket under the sink and took a couple along with a fresh bar of soap. There were only a few inches of water in the tub and she rinsed Daryl completely first without using any soap. With one of the washcloths, she gently rubbed free most of the dirt and then drained the tub to begin filling it again. She wanted him as clean as possible and bathing in murky water wasn't going to do that.

The warm water brought a little of his colour back, but he still looked fragile and broken. As the water began to fill the tub again, he leaned back and put a hand over his eyes. "Was supposed ta be ya."

"Hmm?" She questioned. They hadn't spoken much so far. She was used to his silent acceptance of her help when he was injured without much discussion between them. Grace was actually a little surprised by how talkative he'd been about what happened. He'd probably gotten a good knock on his head when he'd fallen coupled with the shock of Grace being well and alive, but the amount of babble that had spilled out of his mouth had shocked her.

Daryl parted his fingers and stared at her hard through them. "I was gonna take care uh ya. Yer the one who's been out there half a week. Ya shouldn't be lookin' after me." He rubbed the fresh trickle of blood out of his eye and leaned back again. Daryl didn't seem to be protesting that she was taking care of him, merely disappointed that once again _she_ was the one taking care of _him_.

"Dare," Grace knelt down beside the tub, leaning towards Daryl. Daryl opened his eyes to find her much closer than he had expected her to be. Startled, he gave a little jump. She smiled warmly and sighed. "Thank you for looking for me."

"Didn't mean much," he mumbled, embarrassed by the thanks. "Ya got home on yer own an' all I did was bring a doll back."

His hair was sticking up in wet spikes and Grace smoothed it down. Gently she pressed a kiss to his lips, pulling back before he could grab at her and deepen it. "It means something to me. It means a lot. When we were lost and trying to find the group, it kept me going knowing that you would be looking for me too. No matter what happens with me, I know that we won't give up on each other."

He nodded back, not saying anything but not needing to either. Grace knew. She just knew that he was angry with himself, that he couldn't have been the one to fix everything for her. He was always trying to be her hero and rescue her. Grace gave him another quick kiss, this time more on his cheek than on his lips and held up the washcloth again. "Let's get good and washed up so I can bandage those wounds."

* * *

_Grace went over to Amber's the afternoon after she got home from Daryl's. She'd stayed for lunch and then made an excuse about having made plans to watch a movie. Her mom just laughed, making a teasing comment about how difficult it was to separate the two girls and then told her to have fun._

_She drove her car over and was barely parked in the driveway before the front door was opened. Amber sprinted out and across the lawn. "What the heck happened?"_

"_What?"_

"_Jessie called me and she said that Joe was talking to Mitch. Mitch's truck got smashed up last night. Mitch said he thought someone was playing a practical joke on him. Jessie called to ask if you had heard anything because your mom said you were still over here. Which you weren't because you were supposed to be with Mitch, who was clearly alone."_

_Grace scowled, "Can't we talk in the house. I don't want your parents to hear."_

"_What did you do?"_

"_Me? What did I do?" Grace looked at her friend and glared. "I didn't do anything but say no and that asshole threw me out of his truck on the B-Line. I walked all the way to Hilltop to call for a ride at one in the morning."_

"_Mitch threw you out of the truck?"_

"_Yeah, I guess you could say we broke up."_

_Amber shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. If you were up The Hill, then what happened to Mitch's truck?"_

_Grace smiled, Daryl. Daryl happened to the truck. He had been furious. All through their meager breakfast he had talked about her getting even, about how she should do something that would hurt Mitch as well, and to remind him that being a dick never paid off. Grace wasn't big for revenge though. She simply wanted to forget the whole night, and the relationship if possible. Apparently Daryl wasn't having that though and he had taken matters into his own hands._

"_What?" Amber looked at Grace baffled. "Who did it?"_

"_A friend."_

"_A friend." The other girl was even more confused now. "Which friend?"_

_Shrugging, Grace walked towards the house. If they were inside Amber would have to quiet her interrogation so her parents wouldn't suspect anything. "Wait!" Slowly she was catching on. "If you weren't home this morning when Jessie called, where were you? Where did you stay last night? Who gave you a ride?"_

"_A friend." Grace repeated._

"_GRACE!" Amber hissed, jogging to catch up with her. "_Which_ friend?"_

_She was grinning now, enjoying that Amber was so freaked out by what was happening. In the pit of her stomach Grace felt a warm fluttering. She remembered the waitresses words from the night before, how she had said that Daryl didn't have a lot of friends. To Amber's annoyance, Grace's smile got a little bigger. "Just '_a friend_'."_

* * *

When Daryl was cleaned and dried off, he sat on the toilet as Grace stood in front of him and bandaged his head. She wasn't too impressed by the look of the wound on his side. The arrow had made the wound jagged when it came out. He'd managed to stop the bleeding but since the arrow went straight through, she was beyond worried about infection and the amount of dirt that she wouldn't be able to reach. Much to his distaste, she'd found a bottle of peroxide and planned on taking him back to the bedroom to lie down while she stitched him up.

The smallest of knocking sounds came from the other side of the door. Grace almost missed it in her concentration of trying to figure out how to keep Daryl from dying of infection and to do her best not to add too big of a scar to his already well decorated torso.

"Hey," Daryl grunted and nodded his head at the door. Again the timid knocking came and Grace stood. She opened the door just the tiniest bit and stuck her head out.

"Yes? Oh, Carol."

Carol was wringing her hands and looking all sorts of out of place. She swallowed hard before making eye contact with Grace. "I brought- I brought Daryl a fresh change of clothes. I figured he would need them."

Grace smile gently. "Thanks. I'm sure he'll appreciate not having to walk back to the bedroom in a towel."

The grey-haired woman nodded and looked up at Grace with worried eyes. "How's he doing?"

"Alright, the bleeding has stopped, I've got his head bandaged, and he's clean now. Just need to stitch his side and then it's good food and rest for the next few days."

"Supper's nearly ready." Carol looked pleased to be able to offer even the smallest bit of help. "I could bring plates up for you two."

Grace shook her head, "That supper is half for me. I'll come down and eat. Not too sure about Daryl, but I'm going to see if I can't get him set up on a couch downstairs. I don't want him isolating himself any more than he already has." She frowned, thinking of Daryl's brother banished from the house and making a fuss outside. "How's our other Dixon, by the way?"

"Claire's got him." Carol shrugged. "He's not in such a state any more. They're tidying up the mess he made of the boys' camp. Seems calmer around her."

Grace gave Carol a dark look. The last thing she needed was Merle starting something dangerous with Claire. The girl was sweet, young, and painfully naive. She wouldn't know how to ward off inappropriate advances from a man old enough to be her father. She turned back to the bathroom where Daryl was holding a clean cloth to his side and slumped against the counter with his eyes closed. "I'd like to have a talk with you." Grace whispered. "After I finish getting Daryl patched up. Just you and me." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't want Daryl hearing or anyone else for that matter."

The other woman nodded and glanced quickly behind Grace into the bathroom. "Probably for the best." She passed over the spare clothes. "I'll just take the old bedding downstairs to soak in the laundry sink and help finish up dinner. I'll find you when I'm done."

Nodding back, Grace turned back into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

"Who was tha'?" Daryl mumbled. He was starting to look really exhausted and Grace wanted to get him into bed as soon as possible so he could have a rest before dinner. Grace was really determined to get him downstairs for supper. It probably wasn't the best for his physical healing, but he needed the emotional support of people. Whenever things got rough for him and Merle, the brothers retreated away from the world and built their walls a little higher. She didn't want that. She wanted Daryl to know he was not only a part of something but a valuable part of something.

"Carol brought you clothes." She set them down beside where his arm was resting on the counter.

His eyes cracked open and Daryl squinted at her through his lashes. "She went in tha truck?"

"That's about the only way she could get the clothes. Unless she's been stealing yours on laundry day."

"Don't want no one in the truck. People gonna think they can jus' go where e'er they please."

Grace shook her head and gently took Daryl's fingers in her own. Rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb, she smiled at him gently. "People will still respect our privacy. It's just Carol and she knew I wouldn't want to leave you to go get them myself. So unless you want to walk back to the bedroom in a towel, I'd say you owe her a thank you."

Daryl made a grimace but didn't say anything further to protest Carol having been in the truck. Breathing in sharply through his nose, he reached for the top of the clothing pile. He fumbled around with trying to stay upright and shake out his jeans at the same time until Grace reached over, tugging lightly on the denim he was clutching so tightly to. "I can dress myself." He growled but sat down heavily again.

"I know you can but I'd like to help you just this once." She rested the jeans back on the counter and sorted through the remaining clothing to find a pair of underwear. "Were you planning on going commando?"

"Too much effort." Daryl swallowed. "Don't really need 'em anyway."

"Even so, I say we put them on, just for polite company of course." She smiled softly. Daryl was clearly beaten if he was going to let her dress him without putting up a fight. It was as if all the fire had gone out of him and now he just wanted to fall into bed. Sleep would help him heal but she also suspected that he had a concussion from his fall and she was going to be waking him up every few hours just to be sure. The last thing she wanted now was to be dealing was complications from a brain injury on top of everything else they had to deal with.

After stitching Daryl and tucking him safely into the freshly made bed, Grace found herself suddenly exhausted. She didn't want to go downstairs while everyone was fixing dinner and she certainly didn't want to be outside with Merle. The safest place for her in her mental state was as close to Daryl as she could get. She might have been the one who got lost in the woods but somehow it was Daryl who ended up nearly dying. She wanted to touch him, feel the heat of his skin against hers, and listen to his heartbeat to remind her that no matter how bruised and battered he was looking, this wasn't the end of Daryl Dixon. With her watching him, Daryl drifted off to sleep easily enough. She knew she should stay awake, just in case something happened while he was asleep, but he seemed fine and she probably wouldn't sleep long. Someone would come to wake her for dinner before it got too late. If she was planning on getting up every time someone switched over watch then she needed to get some rest now, while she was still able to.

Cautiously she pulled off her socks and crawled into bed next to Daryl. After his bath, he somehow smelled more strongly of Daryl, or maybe that was just because she had been away from him so long. Not wanting to disturb him but needing the comfort, she curled into his side, resting one hand on his chest. The light rise and fall of his chest, coupled with his heartbeat under her palm slowly started to soothe some of Grace's anxiety. She was tired, so fucking tired, and it felt nice to just lay there and forget that there were undead people walking around; that Jacqui, Jim, Amy, and the others were dead; that Carl had been shot; that Daryl nearly died several times; and that it was quite possible that Merle was attempting to groom a teenager for some sort of abusive relationship. She just didn't want to have to worry anymore.

She must have drifted off because the next thing Grace was aware of was the light tapping at the door. "Grace? Daryl?" Carol called and then the door creaked open.

Grace blinked wearily and rubbed her eyes sitting up, "Hey Carol. Must have fallen asleep."

"Supper's nearly ready." Carol nodded. "You must have needed the nap. Should we wake Daryl up so we can bring him down stairs?"

"'M a'ready 'wake." He murmured, sighing and shifting to pull the bed sheets a little higher. Staring down Carol, he covered himself right up to his neck and turned away. "Not goin' down fer supper neither."

"Yes you are. I'm not leaving you up here on your own and I'd like to eat with the group."

"Maggie's got a couch set-up in the dining room. Glenn and Jimmy helped her move it."

"No." Daryl insisted and closed his eyes again.

"You must be starving." Carol tried but Daryl just shrugged and snuggled further into the pillows. Somehow he'd once again ended up with all of the pillows while Grace cushioned her head on him. Carol stood awkwardly for a moment before taking two quick steps toward the bed. She leaned down over Daryl and lightly kissed his forehead right below the bandages that Grace had wound tightly around his temples. Grace felt him flinch as the other woman bent down. Every tendon strung tight, each muscle locking.

"Watch it." He cursed. "I got stitches."

Grace gave a small snort and rubbed at the ribs on Daryl's right side, the opposite side from his wound. "Easy." She warned, lightly. Again he shifted uncomfortably in the bed, steeling himself just an inch or so more toward her but it was also that much farther away from Carol.

"Listen," Carol stared hard at the wall. She seem as though she was having difficulty getting out her words. "You need to know something." She looked over at Daryl and Grace watched as Daryl turned a fraction of an inch back to look at the other woman. Carol began again, "You did more for my little girl today than her own daddy ever did in his whole life."

"Was Grace that brought her back." Daryl turned away again, squeezing the pillow under his head, "I didn't do nothing that Rick or Shane wouldn't have done."

"I know." Carol smiled now, tears filling her eyes. "You're every bit as good as them. Every bit." When Daryl didn't answer Carol looked at Grace and nodded. "Mind if I have a talk with you out in the hall quickly? Then we can figure out how to get Daryl downstairs."

"Sure thing." Grace pulled herself out of bed and watched as Daryl pulled the pillows tighter to make up for her absence. She followed Carol out into the hallway and shut the door gently behind her.

"I went out to Merle and Daryl's camp to tell them supper was nearly ready and to get Claire to come inside." Carol cut straight to the chase with no preamble at all.

"She was still out there with him?"

"Until about five minutes ago."

"Was he... did he seem like he was... you know, doing something wrong?" Grace finger combed her hair, needing something to distract from the ball of tension that was starting to roll around in her stomach. "He didn't seem like he was trying to manipulate her or groom her or anything, did he?"

Carol shook her head and Grace let out a relieved sigh. The other woman looked suddenly worried, maybe she was starting to think about what danger Merle could pose to Sophia or maybe she was just remembering Ed. "Has he done that before?" Cautiously the other woman asked.

"No!" Grace wanted to reassure Carol that there was most likely not a risk. She hoped that the large majority of her worrying about Merle was all in her head and that there was really nothing she should be concerned about. "That I know of, he's never purposely chased after underage girls. He likes sex, don't get me wrong but he's not a pedophile or something." She tugged hard on a knot in her hair. "It's a new world though. Who knows how anyone is going to react to anything. There's no prison any more. Anyone could do anything they wanted and who would stop them?"

"I can see your point but if he didn't show tendencies before, then I think we're alright."

"Someone needs to look out for her. She's got no family of her own here. She's fifteen for God's sake and barely so. I was stupid at that age. I made stupid mistakes and that was when it was reasonably safe for me to do so. She could end up pregnant and die or worse, have the baby and then what would we do? She's young!"

"Calm down," Carol rested her hand on Grace's shoulder and Grace blinked at the other woman, "Claire's a good girl. She'll sort herself out and grow up just fine, just like the rest of us did. You feel responsible for her, don't you?" Grace nodded and Carol's smile grew. "You've got a strong instinct for loving people just the way they need to be loved. You give Daryl the space he needs and you've got no problem putting Merle in his place. Now with Claire, you worry for her safety but instead of rushing into things and traumatizing the girl you hold back, ask questions, and allow her the space she needs. You protected Sophia and brought her back without a mark. She seems better than she was before. She's letting people in. She let Beth paint her nails and Maggie took her on a short ride around one of the fields. She's letting people in, Grace, and she wasn't doing that before. She's not the same girl you took with you." Carol's tears were spilling over onto her cheeks. "My little girl needed someone to step in and show her strength in ways that I couldn't. She told me you let her stand guard outside while you searched a store. I never would have thought to let her but she's able to. She's capable and no she knows that. Thank you for everything you've done." The older woman wiped the tears off her cheeks and laughed. "Look at me, I'm a mess." She gave a weak chuckle. "If you're worried about Claire, then keep an eye on her. I'm sure when the time comes to do something you'll know what it is."

* * *

When Merle was allowed inside the house to eat dinner with the rest of the group, Grace watched him very carefully. It seemed like Carol was right though, Merle wasn't paying Claire any special attention or trying to keep her away from the group. He was treating her differently though. Grace couldn't quite put her finger on it but there was something different about how Merle treated the teenager.

The couch that had been moved into the dining room for Daryl was perfect, set just off to the side enough to give the man privacy but not enough so that he was isolated. Merle settled into a seat near his brother and Grace found herself a seat between them both so she didn't have to strain her eyes to make sure they were both behaving. Grace had to laugh at Glenn's affronted look at being stuck at the second, smaller table. Were this another time and place, she would have wanted to call it the kids' table but the only person who could still be deemed a child that was sitting there was Sophia and even she was seeming more and more grown-up to Grace.

Carol was right about her daughter, Grace hadn't really noticed the change because she hadn't been looking for it but everything about the young girl seemed brighter. She was more capable of handling herself. Even though she was sitting quietly with Beth on one side and Claire on the other, Sophia didn't shrink away from them. She simply listened and took in everything going on around her. She wasn't scared of these people anymore, even though the majority were practically strangers. Beth was talking happily over Sophia's head to the other teen about some band that Grace had never heard over. Grace was trying to figure out what exactly they were saying when she noticed Glenn staring across the table at Maggie. She had noticed that he seemed distracted by her this morning but Grace hadn't put two and two together until now.

Glenn had a crush.

Instantly her heart broke for Claire a little bit. It hadn't been as obvious since she returned but it was clear that the teen was still pining for the Asian man just a little bit. Crushes were hard things to just throw away anyway. Judging by the goofy grin on Glenn's face, he'd gone a lot further with Maggie than Grace could have ever expected. It had only been four days after all. Then again, she stole a glance at Merle, when it was the end of the world there really was no accounting for the strange things emotions did. This time last year if someone had told her she'd consider Merle family and that she'd worry about him on a far more complex level than just 'what did you fuck up this time', she would have laughed in their faces. And worrying about Claire was a whole new feeling too. Hell, she worried about each of these people in their own way. She had more family now than she ever had before.

She smiled as Shane made a small joke at Rick's expense and both men howled with laughter. It was good to see everyone peaceful after the CDC. No one was concerned that this farm was going to blow up or that it was run by a mad scientist. Upstairs, Carl was resting but he'd been awake for almost four hours that afternoon and that was a good sign. On his couch, Daryl was eating quietly and regarding the group with skeptical looks but he hadn't made any move to leave. Even Merle was on his best behaviour.

Down the table, Carol gave Grace a bright smile and Grace returned it. She took another bite of mashed potatoes and gravy as Patricia offered her another roll for the big basket of them.

"Who wants to go peach pickin' tomorrow?" Maggie laughed.

"I'm in!" Glenn spoke too quickly and nearly knocked over his water glass in his excitement.

Shane chuckled, "Easy there. You got someone to come with you and keep watch?"

"Are you volunteering?" Maggie quipped back.

The bald man scratched his head for a moment, pretending to consider it. "I guess I could come along for a while."

"I want to go too." Claire nodded, lip stuck out stubbornly.

"Me too." Sophia smiled at the older girl. "I miss fruit."

"Sophia," Carol shook her head, "I was going to do laundry tomorrow."

"I'll go with them." Grace offered. "Between Maggie, Shane, and I, nothing bad will happen."

"Alright then," Shane didn't bother asking for any more

* * *

"What's going on between you and Maggie?" Grace snuck up behind Glenn as he was rooting around through a linen closet.

The man let out a startled yelp and then when he processed what Grace had said, he froze. "Nothing." Glenn winced when Grace didn't break eye contact and the man started spluttering. "How, how, how do you know about that?"

That confirmed everything and she started laughing. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a horrible bluffer?"

Glenn looked offended for a moment and then his shoulders fell. "Who else knows?"

"I'd say anyone with eyes but that's not exactly true with this group." Grace started ticking names off on her fingers. "Daryl and Merle won't give a crap. Shane, Rick, and Lori are too worked up over Carl. Carol was distracted by Sophia. Andrea misses Amy. Dale is trying to save Andrea. Claire's caught up in her own stuff, and no one knows where T-Dog is coming from. I don't know about Hershel's family but I'd say they're just as distracted." She grinned at him. "I'd say you're safe for now."

"Thank god. If her dad..."

"I wonder if Hershel has ever castrated something. He's a vet right? That makes sense that he'd be doing that on a regular basis... Calm down, Glenn." Even though Grace was clearly joking, Glenn's face had gone pale. The man was visibly shaking.

"You don't think he'd..."

"Wow, alright, you're losing it." Grace frowned. "I was kidding. Jokes. Ha ha? We still make those right?"

"What if I screw this up? She's, she's Maggie! Have you seen her? She's beautiful. I'm the last man standing. What if I'm just the last man standing?" Glenn was panicking now, clearly stressing over his new budding romance. "What if she decides that she doesn't want me anymore? She already said that I was useless in bed... Well not bed exactly. I'm more useless in pharmacy." He gave a short obscene giggle.

"Glenn, if you want her to not leave your sorry ass, don't make jokes like that."

"Sorry. I guess I'm a little nervous. She's supposed to be meeting me in the barn. I was just looking for a blanket or something to, you know, spread out so we've got a surface..."

Grace reached over Glenn's arm and pulled out one of the blankets. "Take this. Use protection. Make sure she cums at least once." Giving the startled man a pat on the arm, she took a step back. "And don't stress so much or you'll never get it up and if you do, it'll be over before it's started."

* * *

Daryl was asleep when Grace got back to their bedroom. That felt strange to say. Even the two nights they had spent in the town house, she hadn't thought to call the room there "their bedroom". They were sharing it with Merle after all. This room though was just for them. They had a double bed and Hershel said they could stay in it as long as Grace felt Daryl needed time inside the house to heal. Partly Grace thought Hershel had said that because he wanted her to have the opportunity to stay inside the house as well. He'd offered up a room to Carol and Sophia as well and Claire was sleeping on Beth's floor.

Grace changed as quietly as she could, but Daryl still stirred when she crawled into bed beside him. "Yer here." He muttered, reaching out to pull her towards him. He didn't seem to be bothered by his stitches but Grace knew that he could be pretty good at forgetting an injury when he wanted something. "What took ya so long?"

"Helped with the clean up from supper and did some visiting." Daryl had come straight up to bed after he finished eating, even though he had stayed long enough to make a Dixon-esque attempt at saying thank you for the food. Merle had stormed out a full fifteen minutes earlier after dropping his plate on the counter loudly and crashing out onto the front porch. Rick had apparently checked up on him quietly and reported to Grace that Merle was drinking a beer and sharpening his knife at the camp the brothers had set up for themselves. Merle had been sleeping in the front of the truck and not only did he still seem to be clean of drugs, he was also respecting Hershel's "no alcohol in the house" rule. Even though he was being grumbly about it, it did seem like Merle was trying.

Daryl shook his head confused. "Ya don't gotta work on yer first night here."

"I wanted to though. I'm not opposed to a little bit of hard work."

Daryl gave a snort of derision and pulled the covers up over them. "Ya checked in on e'eryone 'fore ya came up here, didn't ya?"

"I just need to know that everyone is where they belong." And she did, something about being gone for the four days had made her hyper aware of just how quickly everything could go wrong. It almost bothered her to be sleeping in the house while quite a few people were still outside.

"Don't worry 'bout them." Kissing her hair, Daryl gave her a little squeeze. "We're gonna be jus' fine. Ya got back here a'right and ya brought tha kid with ya. I say we get back on the road the second we're able ta."

Grace nodded. It did make sense that they couldn't stay here forever. A few more days was all they could manage. Maybe they could spend a few with the group on the Kennedy farm as well. That would give Carl and Sophia a chance to play with some kids before they hit the road again. If they fit in well with the other group, maybe they wouldn't have to leave at all. Hershel seemed to think that his place was already full but everyone else at the other farm was waiting for them with open arms. With twenty-two people there already though, it might be too much for the other farm to handle. Not to mention they were already forming attachments at this farm. They would just have to wait and see where the winds would take them.

For now Grace was just content to sleep in a bed, have a bedroom of her own, and to snuggle next to Daryl.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Stop tuggin' so much." Daryl protested as Grace carefully unwound the bandages around his head. Even though he had complained about wearing them, now he was making a fuss about getting them off. The faces he kept making were enough to make Carl seem like the model patient and the boy had done nothing but complain about being confined to bed while Sophia got to go out to the orchard.

Grace pulled back the final piece of gauze to reveal the wound on his head. "I'm being as careful as I can. It doesn't help that you keep jumping around like that." Trying to keep her fingers as light as possible, she first examined the bullet graze from Andrea and then the scrapes from rolling down the hill. The graze seemed to have scabbed over well and almost all of the swelling on his head from his fall was gone.

Under her fingers, he fidgeted and scrunched up his face. "Ya 'bout done?"

"Not even close. I've still got to check your stitches." She batted his fingers away as he reached up to prod at his head. "Don't touch, you're going to get it full of dirt."

"This is the cleanest I've been in a dog's age." Daryl shrugged. "Never had no problem with infection before."

Grace found that very hard to believe. Daryl was tough but he wasn't immune to illness. Based purely on the number of injuries and scars he had, she guessed that he had probably had at least a few infections in his life. Most of them had just probably gone untreated. Neither he nor Merle was big on medications. Merle sometimes joked that if you had a headache you should take an Advil and crush it into your thumb with a hammer, then you would forget all about your headache. The only reason Merle took prescription medication for it's intended reason was when Grace made him or if he was convinced that some sort of vagina voodoo was going to make his dick drop off. It was quite possible that any and all signs of infection would have been ignored. "Well if you promise not to touch it, I'll let you keep the head wrap off. If not, it goes right back on and we can have this talk again tomorrow morning."

Daryl looked panicked at the thought of having to have his head bandaged for another full day. That morning at breakfast Merle had called him 'Princess Darylina' and told him just how stunning his 'tee-ara' was. "I won't touch it." Daryl insisted, locking his fingers into the sheets. "Promise."

"I'll be asking Carol when I get back." She put the roll of gauze she had been threatening him with back onto the bed. "Alright, let's take a look at your side now."

"If it looks good, ya gonna let me up out of this bed so I can come with ya ta see the trees?" Daryl couldn't believe that Grace had somehow managed to slip planning a trip to the orchard right under his nose. He had been half out of it on the couch while the group ate dinner and apparently missed the entire conversation. "Ain't even been a full day that ya've been here and yer running off to go pick peaches." Daryl grumbled lifting his arm so Grace could reach the bandages there.

She shrugged, "Seemed like an okay idea at the time. Maggie goes out there every second day and she's never had a problem. The more people we have, the more food we can bring back." Carefully Grace ran her fingernail under the tape holding Daryl's bandage in place; it was good medical tape and probably hurt like hell coming off. "The more we can do to help out here, the longer Hershel will be willing to let us stay."

Daryl gave a disapproving grunt. "Careful," he glared, wincing as she lifted the tape and gauze away from his wound. "Don't think we should plan on stickin' 'round here too long."

Grace shrugged, feeling gently around the wound to see if it was warm or leaking at all. "You need to heal. Carl needs to heal. We all have to figure out what the hell we're doing. I'd say it'll be at least a week before I feel comfortable taking Carl on the road with us and hopefully when we do leave, we can take some food with us. How many MREs do we still have?"

"Dozen or so?" He scrunched up his face. "Guess we should go lookin' in town fer stuff. Ya see a grocery store there or jus' tha place ya two holed up in… Easy!" He pulled away from her hands, glaring the whole time.

"Sorry," Grace leaned down and blew across the skin, knowing there wasn't really anything else she could do.

"S'all right. So d'ya see a place?"

"There's a bar and a pharmacy. But I don't know how much food they'd have."

"Don' tell Merle." He grinned and looked down at his side. "We jus' got him off that shit. There's gotta be some kinda somethin' though. Don' there?"

"I wonder if Shane would be willing to go back to that FEMA camp at the high school. There must be a ton of supplies there. It'd just be a matter of getting them."

"Hell no. No way I'm lettin' ya go tha' far." He twisted sharply, flinching at the movement but needing to stare directly at her. "Walsh says i's crawlin' with walkers an' Doc's man a'ready got lef' behind. No fuckin' way."

Grace frowned and gave him a small jab on the side opposite his injury, soft enough so as to not do any damage but hard enough to distract him. He gave a short growl and balled his fisted. "Well relax yourself then. God, I said Shane. I didn't say me at all. Shane's already been once, he knows the way. He can take Glenn, T-Dog, hell, maybe Rick would even go. In a couple of days you could be healed enough for me to let you go with them. There are plenty of people who could go that don't have to be me. You've got to calm yourself down."

"Don' ya go tellin' me ta calm down." Daryl snarled, standing up quickly from the bed and pacing to the window. He leaned against the wall, fist raised above his head, ready to smash a hole through something. His breathing was rough and uneven as he tried to get his temper under control. "Fuck." He hissed.

Grace shifted on the bed to pull her feet up to her chest as she watched him fight his fury and bring himself out of it. Her heart jumped against her ribs. They didn't need to fight. Not this soon. There was always a fight about something and neither was good at backing down from their opinion. She didn't mean half the crap she said as anything serious but Daryl was so quick to anger, especially now that he was so stressed.

"I'm a'right" He gritted out, taking a shaky breath.

"I didn't ask." Grace shook her head as he snuck a glance over his shoulder to stare at her.

"Ya was thinkin' it though. Could hear it from all the way over here. Fuck." He spat out and took another deep breath. "I'm good. I'm good." He mumbled, turning to face her. "I'm tryin'." He squinted across the room, half-winking with concentration. "Jus' not too good at it yet."

Slowly Grace stood up from the bed and approached him, wanting to give him enough time to pull away if he needed it. Daryl held still, waiting for her to move closer, then at the last second he reached out for her wrist and pulled her in. "Watch your stitches." She yelped, jerking back reflexively.

"Fuck muh stitches." He raised a palm under her chin so he could run his thumb along her jaw bone. "I wanna go with ya today." Daryl whispered, lowering his eyes to watch as his fingers caught in her hair. "Need ta be there."

"I'll be fine." She insisted, pressing back into his hand and rubbing her cheek against him.

He shook his head. "I know, but I wanna be there. Don' like thinkin' 'bout ya bein' outta muh sight too long." Daryl sighed and gave her a small jerk so she pulled into him, resting against his good side. "How long ya plannin' on bein'?"

"An hour or two tops. Then we'll be back before lunch. I promise." She added the last bit, hoping to ease his nerves a little bit. "Rick wants to have shooting practice this afternoon."

"Doc's a'right wit that?"

Grace gave a noncommittal shrug, "Does he have a choice? We need to have everyone capable of using guns practice so we don't end up with another accident."

"So next time she hits me clean 'tween tha eyes?"

"No," Grace gave a snort of disapproval. "So that she'll know to listen when Rick says to back the fuck down." Leaning up, she kissed the stubble on his chin, "Now let me go so we can get you patched up. Sooner I leave, the sooner I'm back."

-break-

Andrea was standing at the bottom of the stairs when Grace walked down them. She seemed to be trying to look like she was distracted by the shelf of books that stood there. From the look of mixed terror and relief though, Grace was sure that the other woman had been waiting to confront her. There hadn't been time the night before and Andrea was absent at breakfast, something about helping Maggie tend to the horses.

"Oh hey Grace," Andrea's fake surprise was obvious to anyone who knew her. It was clear that the blonde was too nervous to lie well. "I was just looking for something new to read."

"Tired of period romance already?" Grace kept her tone as light as possible, hoping that she could at least get a partial talk in with Andrea before the other woman snapped. Grace wasn't mad about the accident; she didn't know exactly how she felt. Everything had happened so fast with seeing a walker and then having it turn out to be Daryl, that Grace hadn't really had time to process the situation.

Seeing Daryl shot and tending to his needs completely overruled any feelings of anger she might have had.

Grace was starting to see the incident as two completely separate components. Maybe it was because it was so difficult to picture Andrea shooting anything, let alone a human being who she had no problem with.

On the one hand she had Daryl being accidentally shot and that was dealt with. It was hard to feel anything other than the 'Oh God, please don't let him be dead' panic when she saw him laying cradled in Rick's arms, covered in blood, as the other man hauled him to his feet. But he was patched up and there wasn't too much harm done from the bullet itself. His injuries from the fall were much worse and that had nothing to do with Andrea.

On the other hand was how Andrea had handled the situation. They told her no. Rick had directly told her it would be handled; he told her to put the gun down. Shane had said the same thing. They could all see the men going towards the threat. They were armed. They were ready and willing to put down the 'walker'. Even as it was being dealt with, Andrea continued to insist on shooting the 'walker' herself. Dale and Grace had told Andrea to put down the gun and let it be handled in a safe manner but still she kept insisting. Four people, far more than four chances to stop, and yet she never did. Had she listened and put the weapon down, Daryl wouldn't have been shot.

Grace was sure Daryl wouldn't like to be seen as an innocent victim but he was. Maybe collateral was a better term. The price for Andrea's disobedience was Daryl being shot in the head. He really had nothing to do with it. It could have just as easily been Grace and Sophia walking out of those trees. Had they learned nothing from Carl? Guns were not toys. They were weapons and they could injure, whether what they destroyed was already dead or not.

Andrea didn't think through her actions.

The gun shot could have just as easily brought a herd down on them. If there were a large group of walkers in the area they could have been attracted by the sound and they could have had a much bigger problem. From her time alone with Sophia, Grace had learned that. One walker was not a big threat; it could be handled easily enough if the person was alert and prepared. A whole herd could overwhelm you though. That was how Otis got left behind after all.

Though she disagreed with the actions, a much smaller part of Grace understood why Andrea had done it. She understood how it felt to be weak and unable to protect yourself and the ones around you.

Andrea was still hurting from losing her sister and this group of survivors that had banded together was the closest thing she had to family now. In this world, it was all about survival and protecting the ones you loved. The other woman felt weak because she hadn't been able to protect her sister and now she had to prove that she could be useful. She needed to prove to the group that she was an asset. And she needed to prove it to herself.

_That_ Grace could understand.

A part of her felt empowered by the time she had spent alone with Sophia and she knew the little girl felt the same. They had done it by themselves and come out on the other side alive, well, and knowing that should something happen again, they had the ability to handle it. Before, Sophia had been withdrawn and anxious; she was much more relaxed now. Putting that stick in her hands and letting her keep watch made her capable of protecting herself.

Giving Andrea a gun was the same thing.

Both needed to know that they always had someone to rely on to protect them. A lot of strength could come from fighting your greatest fears and overcoming them.

So no matter how freaked out Grace was that Andrea had put the group at risk and taken Daryl as collateral, she could let her have this moment. After all, it was clear that the other woman was tearing herself apart over it.

The blonde was visibly distressed that her actions had had exactly the opposite reaction she had been hoping for. This was not the guts and glory of protecting the group and taking down a walker, this was the shame and worry that she had done something that would put the group at risk and make her a liability. Andrea had learned her lesson - that was clear. The most you could ask for from a mistake was that the other person learned from it.

"I'm just…" Andrea took a deep breath. "I didn't really come in here for books."

Softly, Grace gave her a smile, "I know. I didn't think you did."

The other woman shifted uncomfortably, it was as if she couldn't get the words out even though they both knew what was going to happen. Andrea needed to say _something_ about the accident. She needed to voice her regret so she wouldn't have to carry that burden anymore. It couldn't be Grace who spoke first because Andrea needed to make the first move to gain back a little of her pride. Andrea crossed her arms, then quickly uncrossed them again. "I just… yesterday."

Grace waited as Andrea took a shaky breath. She was looking anywhere but Grace's eyes and Grace knew she had to leave her be until she could get it out.

"I didn't know!" The blonde blurted. "Honestly I didn't! I wouldn't have done it if I knew!"

That was clearly the straw that broke the camel's back, because Andrea's eyes started to fill with tears. Quickly, Grace rushed in to stop them, "I know you didn't mean anything. It's alright."

"No, it's not alright." Andrea balled her fists, clenching them at her sides. "Do you know what Dale told me?"

Grace shook her head in response.

Andrea let out a choke of panicked laughter, "He said 'we've all wanted to shoot Daryl'. Like that makes up for it! Like that's supposed to make me feel better. How the hell am I supposed to take that?" Andrea chuckled darkly again. "Daryl's not such a bad guy. I mean he was out looking for you and Sophia. Got himself pretty beaten up in the process. He cares, you know, he really cares. He's not a bad guy at all and I shot him. I wasn't shooting to injure either. I thought he was a walker and I was going to kill him and be the big damn hero of camp. I'm lucky I missed or I'd have that on my conscious." This time instead of laughing, Andrea coughed to cover up her sob. "One minute I'm having this great chat with you and the next I'm shooting your boyfriend. I'm sorry, Grace. I'm just so sorry."

"He's fine, Andrea."

"He's not fine! He's shot and I shot him. I don't know how you're still talking to me. I'd be so mad. I'd be furious!"

Grace fought back the urge to put a comforting hand on Andrea's shoulder, knowing full well it would probably make the other woman snap. It was easy to see how upset Andrea was with herself. She was clearly torn up about the accident. It was good that she understood but she also needed to do something to change. It wasn't enough to be sorry. She needed to make amends. "I'm not mad at you." Andrea gave Grace a skeptical look and Grace returned it with an expression that demanded the other woman let her finish. "I'm upset you didn't listen to us when we said it was being handled."

Andrea hung her head in shame. "I thought I could do it better."

"You wanted to be the hero. You said that yourself. The truth is that sometimes bravery and courage aren't about doing things the easiest way. You could have brought a whole herd running this way with that gun shot. You could have gotten us kicked off the farm before Carl or Daryl were ready to be moved. Hershel might have said no guns because he's a pacifist about this whole thing but the truth is, you don't know a single thing about gun safety, except now apparently you're well aware that you should double check your target."

"I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't. That's the dangerous thing. You simply shot without thinking of the consequences."

Now Andrea was getting worked up, she'd crossed over from regret to defense now that she knew Grace wasn't upset about Daryl being shot exactly. "So you think that I shouldn't carry a gun? Just like Dale right. That I'm a danger to everyone and myself so I should have my gun taken away."

"Don't be stupid." The retort came out harsher than Grace had meant it, but it did the trick. Andrea stopped dead in the middle of her argument and stared at Grace with wide eyes. Grace scowled and pulled up the bottom of her shirt to show Andrea the gun that Daryl had given her. "I carry a gun. It's protection and since I can't always rely on being able to find another weapon, I carry the gun. Last resort, for emergencies only." She dropped her shirt back into place and smoothed out to hide the gun again. "Hershel doesn't know. I don't think Rick even realizes I still have it on me. The thing is, they're not going to find out unless they have to. It's going to be life or death when they find out about this thing because I'm not stupid enough to go waving it around willy-nilly."

"Did you wish you had it with you when you got lost with Sophia?" Andrea whispered, her eyes were burning a hole in the place where the gun was hidden.

Grace gave the other woman a cocky half smile. "Actually, I did have it. And I didn't need to fire it once."

"What?"

"I had the gun with me the whole time." She shrugged. "I just didn't need to use it. Like I said, it's a last resort. I haven't fired it since that one time back at the hunt camp. Not even when we got attacked. Guns aren't the be all end all and they're downright dangerous if you don't know how to use them. Daryl showed me the basics but I don't trust myself to use it unless I think there's a risk of someone actually dying."

"You've carried a gun this whole time and you've only used it once." Grace nodded in response to Andrea's shocked expression. "Wow!"

"I just didn't feel like I needed it. I'm thinking about going to look for a bat or something. Maybe one of those aluminum ones. I could wear it in a holster like a sword." She pinched her lips together. "I'm keeping the gun still but I know that surviving isn't about showing off. There's no place for that here."

"What about Rick and Shane's target practice? Isn't everyone standing around and shooting guns off a little risky to you?"

"That's about safety. People need to be comfortable enough with their weapons to use them if there is an emergency." Grace emphasized the word emergency. "This is such an old world conversation. We need guns, we need weapons; what we _don't_ need is people who are fearful of what protects them or people who get overly confident. If Shane is willing to teach people the proper way to handle, carry, and care for their weapons then I think that's a great idea. When Daryl's not so messed up I'll probably get him to go over things with me. As it is, I'll probably go and shoot a little bit."

"So you're going?"

"I think everyone should go. Well," Gace amended, "Everyone except Daryl, because he's hurt, and Merle, because he'll cause a fuss. If Merle can keep himself in check, he's welcome to come. You should go Andrea. I told you, I'm not pissed that you shot Daryl. He's going to be fine. What I am pissed about it that you put everyone else in a difficult situation just because you couldn't handle your weapon properly. Guns aren't the be all, end all and we all need to learn that."

Andrea hummed and hawed, "I'll have to think about it." She gave a noncommittal shrug.

"I think that's probably a good idea. Like I said, the more people we have that are aware of how to handle their weapons, the better."

"Yeah, I get it." The blonde nodded and looked up the stairs, "Do you think Daryl would talk to me if I went up to visit him?"

"Probably if you approach him the right way." Grace nodded toward the stairs. "Go. I'll see you at target practice this afternoon."

-Break-

"Has anyone seen Glenn?" Shane had his gun slung over one shoulder and a backpack filled with water bottles for their trip to the orchard. The way he was preparing, Grace would have thought he was going to make a break for it the second they hit the other side of the field.

Maggie looked up from her book. She was sitting on the porch totally oblivious to the people around her. Carol was busy fussing over Sophia, making sure her boots were on tightly and that she was wearing proper socks so she didn't get blisters. Grace had been trying to teach Beth how to French braid while using poor Claire as a model. Rick and Dale were going over an inventory of the camp's supplies for if they needed to get on the road again quickly. Even Daryl had made it out of the house to sit and brood from a wooden chair while he cleaned the mud off of his crossbow. "Haven't seen him." Maggie went back to reading.

"Rick?"

"Me neither, man." Rick looked at his best friend and gave a little shrug. "Try his tent maybe?"

"I saw him heading over to the chicken coop." Dale shrugged. "That was just after breakfast though."

Shane frowned and looked around the group. "Well has anybody seen him since then or'd he just up an' walk out on us."

"I'm right here." Glenn came walking around the house looking rather nervous. "I, uh, wasn't feeling too good this morning. Wasn't sure I was going to come." He licked his lips unhappily, staring across the porch to Maggie who was still ignoring him.

"An' you're plannin' on comin' now?" Shane raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah if, uh, you guys will take me with you." Glenn gave a hopeful glance at Maggie but she was still staring down at her book, ignoring him.

"You can come with." Claire twisted excitedly under Beth's hands and was rewarded by having her hair pulled. "Ouch! Watch it."

"You watch it." Beth wrinkled her nose at the head attached to the half braid in her hands. "You're going to mess it up. Grace, tell her she's going to mess it up."

"You'll lose half your hair if you aren't careful, Claire," Grace warned. "But you've got to be nice to her as well, Beth."

"When you ladies finish that up, we can hit the road now." Shane rummaged through his backpack one last time. "I wanna hit the road an' get back 'fore it gets too late. You think we can manage that?"

Grace nodded, "We're nearly done."

Beth was twisting the ends together now, just the last couple of inches remained. As the teen finished she snapped a pink elastic into place and straightened out the braids. "There, how's that look?"

"Not too bad. With a little practice you can do your own hair."

"Thanks." Beth smiled and leaned down to take the other girl's hand. "Come on Claire. Let's go get our backpacks." She pulled her friend off into the house.

Claire did look good. She was wearing a pair of dark leggings and a bright pink top. Both were obviously borrowed from Beth, Claire didn't own anything close to that flashy. The next time they were somewhere near mall, Grace made a note to take Claire to get some clothes of her own. Maybe there was a house or two around here they could scavenge through for things. It wasn't enough to let her keep borrowing everyone else's clothes. Grace wasn't sure how it happened but the teenager had acquired quite a bit of Amy's wardrobe. She hadn't seen her wearing those blasted white pants yet but Grace had seen several familiar pieces hung up on the makeshift clothesline Carol had strung between the trees near camp.

"That mean we're ready to git goin'?" Shane perked up immediately. He grinned widely at the group and pulled the straps of his backpack over his shoulders again. "Them peaches don't pick themselves."

"Crates are next to the shed." Maggie offered. "I'll go get 'em quick. Glenn?" She looked up, finally acknowledging that he was there. Glenn's ears turned pink as he mumbled a response. "Can you come with me quickly. Too many for me to load 'em up myself."

"Go on." Shane shrugged. He clearly was missing the Asian man's trapped expression. Glenn turned to Grace and she gave him a sympathetic smile but shook her head. Whatever was going on between those two, they needed to sort it out themselves and the best way they could do that was to get a little bit of alone time. Maggie seemed to be trying to get Glenn alone to talk. It was smart, keeping their whatever they had under the radar. Hershel was already starting to talk about them moving on. The last thing they needed was an extra push to make him finally kick them all out for good. Grace was hoping to have a good week or so before he wanted them gone for good. If push came to shove, she knew they would be able to go to the other farm but the thought of more than doubling the size of their group was a little bit frightening. Surely thirty plus people was going to attract the attention of everyone and every_thing_ in the area.

Glenn followed a short distance behind Maggie as she walked off toward the shed. Grace could see him glancing back at the house every little while. Something wasn't right about how nervous he looked. This wasn't the dedication to being good at something he had little experience with sort of nervous. Glenn looked honestly scared. Grace brushed it off. The poor guy probably was terrified. She was sure that he'd never been in any sort of proper relationship and she'd made mention of Maggie's father castrating him last night.

"Short-Round looks 'bout ready ta piss himself." Daryl slid up behind her and Grace nodded.

"He's slept with Maggie." She whispered back.

"The farmer's daughter?" Daryl chuckled and nodded, obviously enjoying the other man's good fortune. "Way to go Chopsticks."

"Do Koreans use chopsticks?" Grace pointed out, leaning against Daryl's good side.

He raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "Does it look like I fuckin' care?" Casually he lifted his arm and put it around her shoulders, applying just enough pressure so Grace knew this was supposed to be a sort of one armed Daryl hug. Grace threw caution to the wind and leaned up to kiss him.

"You be good while I'm gone." She teased. "Lots of rest, plenty of fluids."

"An' no comin' af'er ya, right?" Daryl reached up and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Ya don't go doin' nothin' stupid neither, ya hear me? I'll be askin' the girl an' she'll tell me."

"Claire's your spy, huh?"

Daryl winked, "We got ta bein' friends while ya was gone. She gits on well with Merle, see. Had ta have someone 'round ta wash our clothes an' clean up 'round camp. She offered and I weren't sayin' no ta that."

Grace grinned, "Well, I'm glad you didn't miss me too much. Wouldn't want you to be lonely or something when I'm not around."

"I missed ya!" Daryl protested, almost seeming offended by her comment. "I missed ya plenty more than's proper, ya hear?" Fiercely he grabbed her face in both hands and pulled her toward him for a kiss, attacking her mouth.

Out of concern for his injuries and being well aware of just how many people were around them, Grace planted her hands firmly against his chest and gave a gentle push. Daryl was all riled up today. It was going to be a long healing process if he got wound so tightly from just one morning of minimal activity. There was no way she'd keep him safe from himself at this rate. "Slow down there, stud." She tried to tease, hoping that he wouldn't take offence to her pushing him away.

He didn't seem offended at all, quite the opposite from the dark look he was giving her. Were it not for his injuries, Grace would have been tempted to just tell everyone to go on without her so she could take Daryl right back up to that comfy bed and get him naked. She doubted that Hershel would appreciate that though. She had heard Maggie correct the elderly vet at breakfast when he'd offhandedly referred to her as 'Daryl's wife' and the look on his face had been shocked. He was old fashioned that's for sure. If this were any other situation, she was sure he would have requested that she not sleep in the same room as Daryl.

"I mean it 'bout ya bein' careful out there." Daryl squinted down at her. "Should be comin' with ya…"

"Don't," she leaned up and distracted him with a quick peck, which he returned eagerly. "I need you right here so I'm not worried about you."

"What 'bout me worryin' on ya?

Grace just smiled, "I'll be back. You can come watch shooting practice if you're a good boy today."

"Darylina ain't never been a good boy, have ya brother?" Merle laughed. Grace jumped a little from the shock of the interruption.

Daryl squeezed her a little bit tighter, which couldn't have felt good on his stitches. "Fuck off, Merle."

"'Lax, brother. I ain't gonna start nothing. Jus' wanted ta offer muh services for protectin' the womenfolk what who's heading out to go git _peaches_." The elder Dixon drew the last word out, making it sound incredibly dirty. "See, I like me some peaches and I like me the womenfolk, so I figure this way I git both all in one place."

"No thanks, Merle." Grace shook her head. "I think we're alright." She had goose bumps now. Just who exactly was Merle calling 'womenfolk' when three of the five females heading out to pick peaches were underage. Maggie wasn't his type and she knew he wasn't so stupid as to try anything with her.

"I'm kiddin' Gracie. Jesus, woman, don't looks so startled. I can do that. Jus' figured if Daryl's gotta stay behind, I'm tha next bes' thing ya got." Merle looked down at her smugly. He was damn proud of himself for offering and probably for freaking Grace out so much while he did it. "I'm a right white knight. Chiv-a-ree and all that." He winked. "Daryl don't mind. Do ya, baby brother?"

Daryl winced but shook his head. "Not such a bad idea. Would rather ya lookin' after Grace than Walsh. Trust ya a bit more."

"Hey Offica!" Merle called over to Shane. "I'm comin' wit on this peach pickin' party! Gonna help ya keep watch."

"Grace?" Carol was looking warily at the burly man and clutching Sophia tightly to her. She seemed terrified of Merle, which probably had something to do with Grace putting it into her head that he might be a pedophile.

"It's fine, Carol." Grace tried a reassuring grin but it seemed fake even to her. "The more eyes we have the better. Plus, he can help us haul the cart back."

"Are you sure?" The other woman was clearly looking for any excuse to stop Sophia from going. "If Sophia is too much trouble she can stay here with me. I don't mind. We'll go another day, sweetheart." Carol looked down at her daughter. "Another day when I'm not so busy. I'll go with you and then you won't be a burden."

"Carol, stop." Rick scolded, taking quick steps toward the upset woman. "Sophia isn't a burden. Everyone loves her. We just want her to be safe and if Merle is offering to go with then that's another set of eyes making sure that nothing goes wrong."

"She won't be no problem, huh girl?" Merle winked at Sophia. "Walsh an' I, we can keep 'em all safe."

-Break-

Merle had been surprisingly well behaved, just sitting off by himself and checking up on them whenever he felt it had been quiet for too long. Shane paced the length of the orchard several times, doing "rounds" as he called them. It was strange to say, but Merle's attitude was actually far more relaxing. It was much more comforting to have him around than Shane who was constantly making Grace feel as if she was about to be mugged.

"Can't we fix the cart so the horses can pull all this crap?" Beth was whining yet again as she took her turn pulling the wagon of peaches. The wagon itself was huge and far easier than carrying them all by hand.

Maggie glared at her sister, "You weren't even comin' in the first place. It's your own fault havin' to work when you're the one who volunteered for it."

"Do you have a cart for the horses?" Claire asked, genuinely curious. She was coming leaps and bounds from the girl who had first hidden herself away in Daryl's truck. The end of the world, it seemed, was good for helping people with social issues. Sophia, Claire, even Daryl was more talkative, and Merle was apparently becoming some sort of model citizen.

"We did but it's broke." Maggie looked as though she'd said enough but her sister picked up right where she'd left off.

"Shawn was fixing it. He had it all taken to pieces out behind the shed. Don't think Dad's even looked at it since… well you know."

"Hush!" Maggie scolded.

"There's my mom!" Sophia raised a hand, breaking the tension. "And Lori too."

Carol had probably been waiting by the fence for the group to come back for a while but she was attempting to do her best to hide it. Beside her, Lori was frowning with her arms crossed. Maggie had a digital watch and Grace knew they had barely been gone for two hours. There was no logical reason for her to be scowling like that.

Sophia ran up to her mother and Carol pulled the girl into a tight embrace. Carol gave her daughter a quick once over before allowing herself to smile though. When she was sure that the girl was unharmed, she allowed her body language to take a bit of a more relaxed pose. "Did you have a good time?"

"It was great! We've got lots of peaches. Maggie says she'll show me how to make preserves." Sophia had a wide smile plastered on her face and was bouncing happily between the cart and her mom.

Carol reached out one hand and stilled her daughter. "That's great. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun. Carl's awake and I think he'd like a bit of a visit. Hershel let him sit out on the porch this morning. We could find a board game maybe and you two could play."

"I'll show you where they are!" Beth jumped in, plainly looking for an excuse to get out of any more work. "Come on Claire. It'll be more fun with more people."

"That's nice of you girls." Carol gave the teens a genuine smile as they stood next to Sophia.

"No problem." The blonde farmer's daughter smiled. She gave her sister a wary look and then, when she realized that Maggie wasn't going to protest, she looked back at Carol. "I haven't done Games Night in forever." She grabbed Sophia away from her mom and then shoved both Sophia and Claire toward the house. "If anyone else wants to join in, we'll be on the porch."

Carol was smiling pleased at the retreating figures, ignorant of what she had just helped make happen. "Did the rest of you have a good time?" She questioned.

"No incidents." Shane nodded. "An' we got more food. I'd say that's a job well done." He reached over and gave the handle of the cart a tug. "I'm gonna take these up to the house. Where'd ya want 'em? Somewhere out of way for the time being? That ol' barn maybe."

Glenn gave a startled whimper and Shane looked at him bemused. "Sorry," the Asian man whispered, ashamed. "I've got a rock in my shoe and it hurts."

"Maybe you should stop wearing shoes then." Maggie snapped. "If they're bothering you so much."

"I like the shoes." Glenn snapped back. Grace was startled, it was the first time she'd seen Glenn this upset. "It's just the rock that's bothering me. If we just get rid of the rock the shoes will be fine." He continued babbling on and then seemed to realize that he had an audience. "I'm going to go talk to Dale." He hurried off again.

"If he's takin' off, I am too. Ya people can be responsible for yer own selfs now." Merle pushed past Shane and stomped off towards the camp that he and Daryl shared.

"Daryl's in the house still. Shut up in your room." Carol offered to Grace.

She nodded and cast a look at Maggie. "You don't mind do you?" Grace wanted desperately to see Daryl and reassure him that she'd returned safely. He had probably been sitting in the bedroom and cursing her out since she had left. "I'll help with the peaches after dinner."

Maggie shook her head. "Nah, go on. Once we find a place to put these they should be good until tomorrow at least. No need to start canning already."

"Thanks." Grace followed the path the girls had taken up to the house and let herself in through the front door. She could hear them laughing from the bedroom Carl was staying in. He had obviously been cleared to walk around the house in her absence. She didn't knock when she got to the room, though part of her weirdly considered it. She figured that Daryl should have some sort of warning and then thought better of it.

He was lying on the bed, covered to the hips in a sheet but he rolled over quickly and pulled the sheet up over himself until he realized it was her. "Grace," He smiled, dropping the hand holding the sheet up. "Ya made it back."

"Of course I did." She plopped down on the bed and leaned over to kiss his forehead. "Wanna get dressed and get some lunch quickly. I'm sure you're bored in here all by yourself. We can drive out to shooting practice and you can watch if you want."

"Wha makes ya think I wanna watch ya miss a target eight hundred times." He asked seriously and then couldn't resist cracking a smile at her shocked face. "'Course I'll come with ya."

Grace scowled, "Shut up." She said only half-serious. "What have you been doing in here all morning, anyway?"

Daryl held up a paperback book, "The sniper brought me a peace offering. No pictures but it ain't bad."

"She gives you a lot of credit. It's like she thinks you know how to read or something." Grace laughed at Daryl's offended look and and went over to the pile of their things on the floor. Daryl's duffle bag was half opened and she rooted through it for a shirt that would be easy for him to get on without straining his side. "Here, put this one on." She tossed him a shirt. "You don't need anything under that. I don't want you raising your arms too much for another day."

"How'm I 'possed ta do stuff." Daryl scowled but sat up, reaching for the shirt.

Grace smiled and picked out a reasonably clean pair of jeans and dropped those onto the bed as well. "You're not." Rooting through the suitcase, she tried to find a pair of matching socks but came up with nothing. "What did you do with all your socks?"

"Needed rags. Waste uh damn space an' most uh 'em got holes anyway."

"You're going to end up with blisters if you wear your boots without them." She considered two clean but mismatched ones. "Wear these for now. We need to do a trip into town for more than just food. Claire needs clothes and I wouldn't mind getting something for me too."

"Figures," Daryl smirked at her as he slid the shirt over his shoulders and started buttoning it up. "We're half-fuckin'-starved and the woman wants ta go shoppin' fer clothes."

Grace threw his briefs at his head and Daryl was caught unaware. The grey fabric hit him in the side of the face and he looked up shocked. "Hey!"

"That's what you get!" She smiled and then ducked as he reached over and grabbed one of his pillows.

-break-

"Try not staring at the bottle so hard." Merle called from over the top of his beer as he took another swig. Somehow Merle had invited himself along to commentate on target practice. He was sitting with Daryl on a pair of rickety lawn chairs, pointing out every mistake and offering "helpful" advice. Each of the boys had a beer. Grace still wasn't sure where Merle had managed to acquire all of it, but she took his word at it being discovered in the abandoned cars. The two seemed to be enjoying themselves though and it was nice to see them both so relaxed.

"Would you shut it?" Andrea turned swiftly, giving the Dixon brothers a glare that could cut glass. "Some people need to concentrate."

"Aw, come on sugar tits." Merle tried to give her a sweet grin. "Lighten up."

"Lay off her, Merle." Grace offered lining up her target.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Gracie."

"Don't be an ass." She retorted. Blocking out as much of the noise around her as possible, she squeezed the trigger and just clipped the wine bottle she was aiming at. Daryl whistled and Grace turned around to give a little bow.

"Ya see that?" Daryl elbowed his brother excitedly. His eyes were shining with pride.

Merle rolled his eyes. "All tha means is ya shouldn't git caught cheatin' on her 'cause she can shoot yer nuts off." He slumped back in his chair and brought the can up to his lips but Grace could see him smiling.

"Does anyone need a drink?" Lori was wandering aimlessly behind the people. Nearly everyone was at least trying to practice their shooting. Lori had tried a couple of times and then passed her gun off to Carol, choosing instead to fetch water and hover behind Carl as her son was coached quietly by Shane.

Several hands went up and Lori took a quick count. "Grace?" She turned to Grace who was busy trying to line up her next target. "Would you mind coming with me to help carry things?" Lori chewed nervously on her bottom lip. "Please?"

Something about the way she was being looked at made Grace lower her gun. "Yeah sure."

"Great." Lori let out a relieved breath and Grace clicked the safety on her gun.

The water was stored in one of the trucks they had driven over in and Lori opened the door right away. "How many bottles do you think we should bring?" Grace wondered out loud. "Ten or so?"

"Can we talk first?" The other woman was tugging on the hem of her shirt and the air of worry she was putting off was enough to freak Grace out a little bit.

"About what?" She questioned, putting the lid of the cooler back down and leaning against the truck so she could face Lori.

"Oh." Lori gave a startled gasp, as if she hadn't expected Grace to be willing to talk and now she had no idea where she was going with this conversation. "Well, um, you had to sign confidentiality things when you were a nurse right? This sort of has to be like that."

Grace shook her head, confused. "Okay, Lori, before this goes any further, if you want me to keep a secret then I'll do it. You don't need to call up the medical practices of the old world. I can keep my mouth shut. Just ask me to keep it a secret."

"Would you?" The relieved expression came out as almost a sigh. Whatever had Lori dragging Grace off on fake missions to get more water was clearly bothering her.

"Of course I would." She gestured. "Whatever you tell me stays right here behind this truck. Now what's the matter?"

Lori gave a quick glance around, leaning closer to Grace to keep the words between them. "I think I'm pregnant," she whispered and then, looking upward to stop the tears, gave a half laugh. "Well, I know I am. I took a test and it's positive."

"Oh wow!" Grace took a step back and bumped into the truck. "Lori that's, wow. Who's, well, you know...?"

There was a flash of fury in Lori's eyes. "Excuse me?"

"It's not Rick's."

"Of course it's Rick's! He's my husband."

Grace threw up her hands in a reflex of defense. "Well he's been your dead husband for the majority of time I've known you. It's not that far of a stretch…"

"I didn't cheat on Rick."

"Of course you didn't. He was dead. You had every right to do whatever you want. I'm not judging you. I'm just asking because a baby is going to start a lot of drama if we've got three parties involved. I'm just trying to figure out if you should be doing some sort of damage control. Laying down boundaries for all parties involved. That is assuming that it's stopped or will be stopping in the near future."

"I'm not a cheater!" Lori gave her foot a short stomp. "It was… it was a mistake and now that Rick is back I don't need to have it ruining everything. He wasn't supposed to be alive…" Her voice trailed off into a sob.

Grace started running through possibilities in her head. Clearly the encounters had taken place after Rick had been left behind at the hospital. That narrowed it at least to people that Grace was aware of. Then it dawned on her. Shane distracted demeanor after Rick returned, the scratches on Shane's face at the CDC, the way the two of them had been avoiding each other, Shane's sudden shift between hot and coldness towards Carl.

"Shane?" She gently questioned.

Lori swallowed but nodded stiffly.

"And it's over now?"

Again, Lori nodded. This time with more force.

"I'm guessing you haven't told Rick."

"Rick doesn't know about anything and neither of them knows about the baby."

"It's not Rick's baby."

"It could be though. We've…"

"Lori, it hasn't even been two weeks yet. Don't tell me you're that stupid." Grace shook her head, "That's Shane's kid and you know it. You can lie to everyone else all you want but if you're coming to me for advice or whatever this is supposed to be, then at least have the decency to be honest with me."

"I didn't want this." Lori fumed. "I didn't want this. I don't want this baby. I just wish, I just want to wake-up and lose it." She froze and looked up shocked. "I didn't mean that. Grace, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that! I, just, I'm scared and I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did." Grace wrapped a protective arm around her middle. "I told you not to lie to me."

"I shouldn't have said it though."

"Let's ignore that for a minute. If you don't want to be pregnant - don't be pregnant. It can be as simple as that."

Lori looked shocked and wiped her eyes. "Really? You'd do that? After you…"

"Yeah, if it's what you want then I've got no problems." Grace sighed and pulled on her ponytail. "Look it's not about me and my choices. The only reason I was going to keep my baby is because Daryl and I were both willing. I told him flat out that if we weren't both in it, that I was willing to abort. Children deserve to be born wanted. "

"Oh." The other woman didn't meet her eyes.

"Look Maggie and Glenn can do another pharmacy run. I'm guessing you got Glenn to get the test for you, right? I'll have to tell him what exactly we're looking for, but he should be able to get it."

"He'll know what morning after pills look like. Aren't they labeled?"

Grace shook her head, "That's not what you need, morning after pills won't cause you to miscarry. They stop fertilization or implantation. If you've already got a positive test then we're past that point. You've got to be honest with me though. This stuff with Shane, it didn't start while you still thought Rick was alive right? Because I need to know how far along you could be otherwise I'm not risking this. Without a hospital we could really get in trouble."

"You're willing to do this though?"

"You've got a right to do with your body as you choose. It's your choice Lori. Don't stay pregnant if you don't want to be pregnant but you've got to make a choice sooner rather than later. You can't be more than seven weeks right? The longer you put it off, the more dangerous it is. I need to know within the next day or two. If you need someone then I'm here, but I think you should at least sleep on it tonight."

Lori threw her arms around Grace, squeezing her in an uncomfortably tight hug. Grace gave her a moment before extracting herself as carefully as possible. She might have been doing this for Lori but it didn't mean she wanted to suddenly be in the sort of relationship where they hugged all the time. That was taking it a little bit too far.

"Y'all need help back here." Shane clomped his way around the side of the truck with Carl. "Figured it was takin' you two so long an' ya probably needed a hand. Let a man do it, right bud?"

Carl nodded and reached for the cooler, "I can carry this."

"Easy, don't hurt yourself." Shane reached over and took the handle. "Don't want ya to pop a stitch." He smiled protectively at the boy. "Now you two can go back to gossipin'." He winked and led Carl away.

That was when Grace realized that she wasn't just helping Lori, she was helping everyone in Lori's life: her husband, her lover and her son. Whatever choice Lori made now was going to impact them most of all. On a smaller scale though, this scandal could drive the group apart. The last thing everyone needed to be was caught up in a post-apocalyptic custody battle.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Daryl didn't want to stay in the house another night. Grace could tell he'd already had enough of being an invalid. It would be a long recovery if he kept insisting on not allowing himself to heal. She wanted at least a few more days of bed rest. At this rate though, she would be lucky to keep him in bed for two. That night after dinner, Grace moved their things back outside and had Merle's help pitching a tent. They still had plenty of extra tents and she didn't want Daryl crawling in and out of the back of the truck even though he insisted he was fine.

It took some manoeuvring, but eventually they got the mattress into the tent and Grace started making up the bed and arranging their things. Even though she suspected they wouldn't be staying for much longer, she wanted the time they _did_ spend on the farm to be comfortable.

There were leftovers from the feast the night before for supper, as well as bits and pieces of the MREs. Everyone knew their personal food supplies were getting low and that they had to start thinking of other options, even if they had even the smallest chance of convincing Hershel to let them stay for a little while. They couldn't eat him out of house and home. The only one who seemed willing to bring up this point though was Shane.

"We need to go get supplies." He dumped his plate into one of the wash bins and scowled around the fire, daring someone to challenge him.

Andrea looked up at him skeptically, "Where are we going exactly?"

Shane just shrugged. "Somewhere with lots of different supplies. I guess we can't hope there's a Walmart out here in the boonies."

Carol perked up, "What about the one in Peachtree?"

"Too far.'" Shane brushed her off. "Needs to be somewhere close. Somewhere we can scoot out to, load up, and then hit the road again 'fore it gets dark out."

"What about that housing place." Glenn timidly offered. Clearly he was realizing that Shane was in a foul mood tonight and he didn't want to be shut down. Still the Asian was always helpful, even if the person he was trying to help seemed to be trying to pick a fight.

"Housing place?" Shane seemed confused.

"There's that house development we were going to search for Grace and Sophia." Glenn shrugged. "Bunch of rich people with big houses? Sounds like they'd have all kinds of stuff just hanging around."

Shane snapped his fingers, grinning broadly. "Exactly! That's just the place we need to hit up. We should get out there as soon as we can. Who's in?"

Rick cleared his throat and everyone turned to him. "Slow down a minute." For the past few minutes he'd been watching his best friend out of the corner of his eye from the other side of the camp but he hadn't stepped in. Now it seemed that Shane was starting to tug on the invisible leash that Rick had him tied on. "It's late. We can talk about this in the morning."

The two officers locked eyes for a moment, before Shane shook his head. "We've got to…"

"What we've got to do is clean-up supper, maybe tell some campfire stories, and then go to bed." Rick gave his friend a small smile. "We're not on a deadline here. We don't have to make a choice right away."

* * *

"I think I've decided." Lori wrung her hands as she shifted nervously in the doorway of the tent. Grace was sorting through laundry when the other woman had quietly snuck away from the group to find her. It was still early in the morning. Claire had spent the night with Beth again and Daryl and Merle were off on a walk to check on the security of the outside fences. The exercise probably wasn't what Daryl needed, but he hated to stay still. At least he was confined to the farm and not off on a hunting trip.

"Come in and sit down." She waved her over. This wasn't a conversation Grace wanted to have while Lori looked like she was going to faint. The last thing they needed was someone seeing Lori pass out and starting to get nosey.

The dark haired woman sighed and took a few careful steps around the piles of clothes on the floor. She looked at the unmade bed and Grace just shrugged, leaning over to pull the blanket up and patting the mattress. "Thanks."

"No problem. So you thought about it?"

She nodded, "I can't go through with it. I mean, it wouldn't be fair to anyone. Rick doesn't need to find out about anything. He's gone through so much already and people are going to talk. It's just not the right time."

Grace nodded, she understood where Lori was coming from. The child was almost certainly the product of the… well it wasn't exactly an affair, after all they had thought Rick was dead. There really wasn't a word for what it was. Perhaps it had been slightly tasteless to jump into bed with someone so quickly after, but everyone grieved in his or her own way and Grace knew for a fact that Shane and Lori had probably been seeking comfort and reassurance. It was a strange new world they were living in; there really wasn't a place for old world morality. "Do you want to talk more?"

"I've been going back and forth all night," sniffled Lori. "Any more thinking and I'm likely to change my mind completely and then I'd just have to start the process all over again. It's best this way. I know that. No one needs to know about this."

"You'll have to tell Rick something. How else are you going to explain what's going to happen?"

Lori looked out the door of the tent, "I guess I lie. I'll make something up." She shrugged, "Maybe I could pretend the pregnancy was further along than it was. I could pretend it was from before. Rick can't see the bad in anything. Even if it's not plausible, he'd want to believe it and that would make it true enough for him."

"He is a good man." And he was. After everything he'd been through, he still had an air of innocence to him. Rick Grimes was just an honest, good-natured man and he didn't need to bullshit and drama this baby could bring. Then again, he'd also be over the moon about the idea of a baby and downright brokenhearted to find out that the pregnancy was going to end. Grace couldn't exactly say anything about being careless about birth control. She and Daryl had their own issues to work out on that end. Sometimes pregnancies just happened and if it wasn't the right time and place, then someone needed to step up and do the best thing for the situation. "I'll talk to Glenn. Shane is still trying to get a group to go with him to the housing development but I think Glenn would rather not be a part of it, even if he was the one to come up with the idea."

"Shane always has to be on some sort of a mission. He can't sit still. I just hope he doesn't convince Rick that this is a good idea."

* * *

Grace hated waiting. It was probably the worst thing she could think of, especially with how dangerous everything seemed to be. When people left, you could never be sure if you would get to see them again or if they would just never come back. The strain separation brought to the group was almost tangible. Everyone worried and no one wanted to be the one to break the silence and say anything about it. No one made eye contact in case it would give away their fear.

There had been more tension since Grace and Sophia had returned. Instead of putting their fears at rest, their four day adventure had ruined any last hopes that there was safety in the world and to have it come so soon after the CDC just exacerbated everyone's concerns.

She knew how lucky she was, she didn't have any illusions about luck not playing a role in their successful relocation of the group. Had one thing gone differently, either she or Sophia, maybe even both of them, could be walkers right now. It was as simple as being overpowered or getting caught unaware. She had been lucky to protect the girl and keep herself safe as well. They had been lucky to find the church, to be able to trap the walkers, to get to town unharmed, to not attract unwanted attention, to find strangers who were not a threat. The list went on. Had any one of those small pieces gone differently, they could never have made it back.

It would have ruined Carol and probably killed Daryl.

Already he had come dangerously close to dying while trying to find her. With his injuries and stubbornness, there was no telling what fiasco he would have gotten himself into had she not been at the farm when he returned. He probably would be back out there right now, still looking and doing irreparable damage. He wouldn't listen to Hershel when the doctor told him that he needed to rest and going out searching would have been the death of him. Without Daryl and Grace, Merle would most likely either separate from the group on his own or get thrown out. He'd be back on drugs as soon as he got his hands on something and without anyone to watch his back while he was high, he'd be dead in a few days. With just one member missing from the group, things could go so differently.

Shane was out there now, off with Andrea to the housing development to scout out the area for a bigger group to go and gather supplies. They had taken a map and were instructed to mark off the areas that looked least destroyed as these would be the ones they searched first. If everything went well, they were going to gather up enough people for a group to go scavenging. It was the only way Rick could keep Shane from staging some kind of mutiny. Rick was still in negotiations with Hershel over them staying longer than the week he had allowed them so Carl could heal. Mostly that depended on Daryl's condition, though his inability to act the part was putting a damper on that.

Then again, if Lori was going to go through with terminating the pregnancy, she might prove to be just the leverage they needed. Hershel couldn't be so cruel as to send a group out on their own when one of the members was experiencing a medical event. While Grace really didn't want to think of the abortion that way, it might be just the leverage they needed to stay on the farm long enough to get their feet under them.

Shane and Andrea weren't the only members who were absent. Grace had spoken with Glenn after Lori left so she could give him the list of things she wanted from the pharmacy. She'd never had to consider a do-it-yourself abortion. If anyone from the group was prepared to help Lori through the experience, it was her. Her own miscarriage was fresh in her mind and Grace did have the most medical training in the area of humans. Glenn's list was long and detailed. She had tried her best to explain to him what he would need and she had no doubts that he would try his best to collect them, but she worried about Maggie.

The biggest flaw in their plan was that Glenn hadn't gone alone. Grace was sure that given Hershel's openness about religion, that Maggie at least shared some of her father's beliefs. They were trying to keep the fact that this would be a planned termination as quiet as possible, but the pharmacy couldn't have been too big. It was quite possible that if Maggie found out and was upset by the plan, she would cause a fuss and, instead of helping them stay on the farm, they'd be thrown out that much quicker.

No one was set to return for at least another hour. The group had just finished lunch and everyone was busying themselves with chores and other distractions. Carol and Patricia were baking bread in the kitchen. When the two women were finished, Patricia had said she would take the group down to the pond and they could wash clothes together. The bigger the group that went, the safer everyone was going to feel. It seemed that all the remaining women would probably go with Rick and Daryl offering to stand watch in case something went wrong.

The farm was bordered by a large creek which helped protect it from attack on that side. The rest of the property was bordered by fences and cow pastures which gave them plenty of warning. Hershel didn't like the idea of having people armed. He was quite adamant about the group not carrying weapons because he felt that they were more dangerous than walkers. Really there was no other way that Grace could think of to escape walkers unless they planned to live on the run. If they were constantly on the move, then maybe they could keep one step ahead of the hoard.

They couldn't stay here though.

This place was a mess of politics and stepping around Hershel's feelings because he owned it. Sooner or later there was going to be a confrontation and people would butt heads more and more. This little oasis was sheltered from the brutality that the rest of the world had faced. Grace had heard about Maggie's reaction to the walker that the group had tried to take care of. She hadn't been distressed by the contamination of the well as much as she had been the supposed murder. Maybe the group was becoming desensitized to the violence but that was only because they knew how necessary it was.

Walkers were a threat to their lives and it wasn't like they were going to be healed. These weren't people who simply had a contractible virus. They weren't even people with a mental illness. They weren't sick, they were dead and that meant they weren't people any more. They didn't have rights or feelings. They were monsters and they had to be treated as such.

With the threat of being kicked out if they used force to protect themselves, this was not the place for the group to find sanctuary. They needed a place of their own where they weren't simply visitors that could overstay their welcome and get kicked out at any time. That was why the other farm didn't hold much potential either. Even though they seemed much more willing to get rid of a potential threat, it still wasn't a place of their own. Not to mention it probably couldn't handle doubling in population. What the group needed was a place of just for them. Somewhere big enough for the group to stay together that could be defended in the way they saw fit. They needed the freedom that their own space would give them. The longer they stayed here, the more they were putting themselves at risk.

Grace was so caught out in her own thoughts that when hands slid around her waist, she gave a startled jump, promptly dropped the plate she was washing back into the soapy water, and nearly smashed the top of her head into Daryl's chin.

"Whoa!" he caught her hands before she instinctively started smacking and his chest. "Startled ya, huh?"

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She turned to face him, not knowing if she should just laugh at herself or if she should try to beat the crap out of him for bringing her quite close to having a heart attack. Instead of going all out, she opted for a solid smack to his chest and he just laughed.

"Easy there. I'm wounded remember."

"You could act a little more like it so maybe Hershel will let us stay a few more days. Are you going to go lay down a bit like I asked you to an hour ago?"

Daryl shrugged, "Mehbe."

Grace sighed. She should have expected a response like that. He had been doing pretty well with limiting his movements, but she could tell that already his urge to get up and do something was driving him to distraction. He needed the rest though, at least a little bit of down time to let his body heal. It would be crazy to expect him to stay in the tent all day, but there had to be some way to convince him to lie down for just a little while. "Is there anything I can do to convince you?"

Daryl dropped his head nervously and licked his lips. "Nah."

"Daryl," she scolded and he looked up shocked.

"What?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Grace rolled her eyes and rested a hand against Daryl's jaw to force his eyes up to hers. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing's tha matter." He grunted pulling away from her. "Jus'… ya should come lie down with me." He wrinkled his forehead and gave her a hopeful look.

Grace gaped. There was no way Daryl had just said what she thought he had said. Was he honestly asking her to snuggle with him in the tent? No, that wasn't like Daryl at all. Maybe he was still concussed?

"If yer too busy, I'll jus' go muhself." His face was falling and Grace's heart gave a little lurch for how abandoned he looked. Daryl was actually asking her to snuggle with him.

"Of course!" She blurted quickly and his eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Sure, just let me finish the dishes. No one will need me until after Glenn and Maggie get back with supplies."

* * *

Grace had been right about Daryl needing a rest but she hadn't been aware about just how much he had needed her physical presence as comfort. Just as she had snuggled into him the first night she was back, Daryl insisted on clinging to her once they dropped onto the mattress. It was hard to tell if he was memorizing or remembering her as he ran his fingers over her skin. Daryl's fingers mapped out each inch of her body in painstakingly slowly caresses as if he knew that his injuries prevented him from taking things any further. The longer the pads of his fingers traces the imperfections of her skin, the more Grace felt the tension in her muscles ease away. She couldn't be sure who this rest was more beneficial for. They needed a moment of closeness between them where there was no stress from just finding each other again. Even if neither of them spoke out loud, their body language said a whole lot more.

I'm here.

I'll always be here.

I'll never let you go.

You'll never be alone.

Daryl's fingers slid across her collarbone and underneath the straps of her tank top and bra. They hovered there for a moment before travelling back up her neck, snaking into her hair, and pulling her tighter to him. He sighed, breath ghosting over her as his chest fell on the exhale. Both of them were half asleep. Or maybe Daryl was mostly asleep at this point. They'd both spent the last hour or so hovering between consciousness. The tent was hot and in the privacy of their own space he had left his shirt off after she checked quickly on his stitches. Grace spread her fingers across the scars on his chest as his breathing slowed even further. Any longer and they would both be asleep for sure. The fingers massaging the back of her neck slowed almost to a stop and Grace found her eyes drooping. Then Daryl gave an involuntary shudder and grasped the back of her neck, squeezing as he suddenly came to and remembered where he was. Grace turned her head and kissed his collar bone to soothe him. Then she yawned and burrowed deeper into his side.

This was what they had both needed, as afternoon of recommitting themselves to each other.

It was quiet outside. There was the regular sounds of small animals and a slight breeze blowing through the yard that ruffled the tent but almost everyone had found their own quiet spot to wait out the return of the two pairs.

The sound of tires on gravel was enough to make Daryl lift his head as both he and Grace turned in the direction of the interruption.

"Who'd ya figure that is?"

"Dunno," Grace yawned and pulled back slightly, stretching. "I guess we should go see though."

Daryl tugged her back down. "If they need us, they can come get us."

"That's true enough," she chuckled, settling back down. "I'm far too comfortable to move anyway."

They were afforded only another ten minutes or so of rest and relaxation before a shadow passed over the outside of the tent and stopped, hovering near the door. Grace fought back her laugh as the person outside fidgeted at the door, after all there wasn't exactly a place to knock. "Grace?" Lori's voice whispered and Grace knew right away that it was Glenn and Maggie who had come back. She pushed off Daryl.

"Gimme a sec." Grace called over her shoulder.

"Alright." Came the immediate response.

He cracked one eye open in a half hearted attempt at a glare. "Where're ya goin'?" Daryl followed her movement with his open eye as she pulled herself up of the bed and tugged her shirt down over the tops of her jeans.

"To go talk with her." Grace rolled her eyes. "I told you they'd need me when Glenn and Maggie got back. Medical stuff you know. I bet they got quite the haul."

Daryl opened the other eye to squint at her. "What about Doc?"

"Hershel is a veterinarian. Also I'd like to restock our own supplies. I doubt Glenn will know how to equally divide the supplies without getting the short end of the stick."

There was a moment's pause where Daryl continued to stare at her and then he flopped back down onto the bed and grunted his acceptance. Grace felt a little bit guilty using omission to lie to him but the fewer people who knew about Lori's lovely little situation, the better. She would tell him once this whole thing was well in the past. If she told him now, it was more than likely that he wouldn't understand why she was helping the other woman abort. He would question why she wanted her own child when she was ready to get rid of someone else's. Grace couldn't explain it. It just wasn't about her and because of that, she felt not a speck of guilt over helping Lori fix her mess of a life.

Finally pleased that she didn't look like a complete slump having spent over an hour napping with and snuggling her boyfriend, Grace leaned over Daryl and gave him a peck on the forehead. Daryl's eyes popped open and for a moment Grace thought she was going to get scolded but he smirked and pointed to his mouth. "Tha forehead shit's fer Carol."

"I'd rather her not be kissing you on the mouth." Grace laughed and bent back down to give Daryl a proper kiss.

He grinned and closed his eyes again. "Ya can go now," he dismissed her and Grace rewarded him with a gentle prod to the shoulder, which only made him smile bigger.

God, she had missed him.

Grace tried to smooth out her contented expression but Lori obviously caught on to her good mood the moment Grace stuck her head through the flap of the tent. "Sorry to interrupt," Lori twisted the hem of her t-shirt. "I just… Glenn and Maggie came back." She frowned and lowered her eyes. "Maggie knows."

"What? How?"

"I guess she caught Glenn looking for the stuff and he spilled it all." The dark haired woman held up the white pharmacy bag. The top was folded over and the contents rustled inside. Glenn had tried to disguise the pills it seemed. "She threw this at me."

"That's terrible!" Grace's eyes widened and she looked around for any sign of the farmer's daughter but found none. "Let's go somewhere quiet to talk." She offered, gesturing with her hand toward the shed where the generator was kept. That was where Maggie had said her stepbrother had taken apart the cart. She hoped that they would only visit it if they needed to check on the generator but they wouldn't turn it back on for a little while at least. They had been alternating between running it and shutting it off to conserve some of their fuel.

As predicted, no one was near the shed and Grace turned to Lori. "Can I have the bag?"

Lori nodded, holding out her arm. "There's more stuff. I hid it in the RV shower. It's mostly just extra odds and ends in there since Andrea got attacked in there. Hopefully no one needs more towels until I find a better spot."

"Well hopefully this works and we don't need to worry about hiding things." Grace looked around. "Do you want to go into the house or do this here?" The was a certain amount of privacy afforded to them here but she wasn't sure if Lori wanted to maybe be somewhere a little bit more comfortable to wait it out.

This time Lori seemed forceful. "No, we'll do it here."

Grace had explained everything as best as she was able to several times over when Lori told her she had made her choices. There was a part of her that worried though. No matter how much they talked things out that was nothing compared to actually going through with this. She opened the packaging, glad to see it was still sealed and counted out the pills to hand them to Lori.

For the longest time Lori simply stared down at her hand not saying a word. Grace watched her carefully and with every passing moment she realized more and more that Lori was not going to end her pregnancy. She'd already grown attached to the idea of it, Grace was sure. She wanted the pregnancy, for whatever reason she wanted it.

"I expected them to look different." Lori whispered, her voice trembling.

"Like what," Grace replied gently.

The other woman gave a small shrug. "Now that I've said it I'm not sure but I thought they'd look different. More… important, maybe?" Her question went unanswered as they both lapsed into silence again.

Grace shook her head and took a stepped forward. Carefully she reached out and took the pills back.

"What?" Lori gave a startled jump and automatically reached for them but Grace just shook her head. "What are you doing?"

"You're not going through with this."

"I'm not?"

Grace shook her head and gave Lori a sympathetic smile. "No, you're not. You haven't really made up your mind have you?"

A shudder ran through the dark-haired woman and she quickly averted her eyes, dropping her head and wrapping her arms around her stomach. "Glenn," Lori started, "He brought prenatal vitamins too." She gasped quietly, holding back tears. "He… he made me think. You're right about the choice. I didn't think I had one before but I guess I do. I don't know why, foolish hope maybe, but I want to try. I wanted another baby so much after Carl and it just never happened. Maybe this is it. Maybe this is my sign that it's going to be alright. Who knows? I just want to try."

"You don't need to explain," Grace reassured. "I get it. Like I said before. It's your choice. If you want the abortion, take the pills." Slowly she opened her hand until the little tabs we sitting flat on her palm. "But if you don't, I'm here for you too." When Lori made no move to take them back Grace closed her hand again and nodded. "You need to talk to Rick, and it needs to be soon. If this is going to work out, then you've got to be honest. There can't be any more lying."

Stiffly, the other woman nodded her head, holding herself a little tighter. "I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"Go throw-up then." Grace reached down and snapped the elastic band off her wrist holding it out to Lori. This time the woman took what was offered to her and pulled her hair back. For a second she swayed on her feet then dove for the door to the shed. Lori hit the tree line at a run and sprinted the next few feet until she collapsed to her knees, heaving up the contents of her stomach. Carefully, Grace followed her, trying to stay aware of their surroundings. The last thing they needed was to run into something and be caught by surprise. She watched Lori curl in on herself, crying softly and wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

A sound from the right made Grace jump up and automatically reach for her gun but the figure coming out of the trees was familiar.

Rick stepped forward, batting branches out of his face and gasped, "Lori! What happened?" He turned to Grace but she just shook her head.

"I think Lori needs to answer that one. Who's with Carl?"

Completely confused, Rick reached for his wife, resting a hand on her shoulder. "He's with Carol and Sophia playing cards on that picnic table Hershel loaned us."

Lori looked up at Rick and began to cry harder.

Grace took a step away from the mess in front of her. "I'm going to go check on them. I'll make sure no one bothers you two to give you a little time."

"If Shane comes back…" Rick started and Grace just shook her head forcefully.

"This is more important."

* * *

Grace wasn't sure what the reasoning was behind Shane fixing up one of the cars from the pile-up on the highway but he'd done some work on a green Hyundai and was calling it his own. When he and Andrea had driven up to the housing division they had taken that car, so it was easy to know it was them that came flying into the yard at full speed.

"Jesus," Daryl snorted, "Always gotta make a scene, don't he?"

Grace gave a small smile of acknowledgment. Since leaving Rick and Lori to their talk she'd needed something to keep her mind off of things. Maggie had fucked off to God knows where and Glenn was off pouting in a corner so she'd enlisted Daryl's help in unloading Maggie's car and sorting through the supplies they'd picked up. Part of her felt a little bit guilty when the supplies should have been split-up evenly but if they weren't going to take the time and effort to sort through things then that wasn't her fault. Instead she was picking and choosing the things she was sure their group would need at some point and packing the items away into a spare duffle bag.

"Ya ain't curious?" She could feel the heat of Daryl's stare on the back of her neck. Quite frankly, at right that moment she couldn't bring herself to care about whatever it was that Shane and Andrea had found.

Quickly she turned to him and tried to put on her biggest smile. "Bigger stuff to do here. Whatever has Shane driving like that can't be good news anyway."

On the other side of the yard everyone was slowly coming out of their hiding places. Grace watched through the trees as Carl jumped up from the picnic table where he'd been playing cards with Carol and Sophia. The boy sprinted over to the car, just barely making it there before Dale who was stepping out of the RV. Even at a distance, Grace could see the shake of Shane's head as he leaned over to ruffle the boy's hair. She was right; there was no good news.

Daryl stood up holding his side and wincing at the action. Were there anyone else around he would have fought showing the weakness but he'd been fairly open with Grace about the discomfort his injuries were causing him. "Come on. We'd better go see. Ya need a break from work." He leaned over and with determined fingers freed the plastic package she was searching for an expiry date, letting it fall to the table. Grace raised an eyebrow at the bold action and Daryl just grinned back. "You'll regret it if ya don't go see fer yerself."

It was true. As much as she wanted to distract herself, if she didn't find out what had happened before it was old news she'd feel left out. Their circle was so small that news travelled fast. Already Dale was finding out before her. Dale. She couldn't let Dale be the first one to get all the new information about this potential place to live. Grace scrunched up her face and nodded, "This stuff can wait…" she looked down at the table.

"Look woman, I'm already standin' an' it hurt like hell so don' make me sit down 'gain right away." He grumbled, eyeing the chair he had been sitting at like it was going to jump up and bite him.

The frustrated looking on Daryl's face made Grace fight back her smile. "Alright, let's go see what Shane's so worked up about," She reassured him. "Wouldn't want you to have to sit back down or anything, you big suck." She added and Daryl grimaced at the teasing. Grace stepped around the table and patted his shoulder. "I think you're just a little bit curious yourself."

"Jus' bored as fuck watchin' ya squirrel away boxes. Wanna go out and do somethin'."

"You are curious." Grace said with a little more force.

"Ain't keepin' ya here any longer than we gotta. We need our own place." Daryl slung an arm around her shoulders to distract her and pressed his lips to her cheek just in front of her ear. "I wan' ya somewhere safe."

Grace nodded, pressing into Daryl a little more than she probably should have but he took the weight without complaint and squeezed her a little tighter. As he led her away from the piles of supplies on the table, he didn't drop his arm. It was something he never would have done before, but somehow everything that had happened was apparently opening Daryl up to show his affectionate side. It felt like a lifetime ago that Daryl refused to kiss her in public unless they were tucked in the dark corner of a bar. And here they were, Daryl walking not only next to her but touching her, arm around her shoulders in a way that –and Grace hated the term- claimed ownership over her. It made her heart skip over in a pathetically high school way. Daryl might not be too big on affection but when he pushed past his social awkwardness so casually to walk next to her with his arm around her shoulder, she knew just how much she meant to him. There was a sense of rightness to her world when Daryl made the little bit of extra effort.

"What's the news, Walsh?" Daryl grunted as they got closer to the green car.

Shane just shook his head. "I was just tellin' Dale here, it don't look too good. That place is overrun. We gotta a lotta work ahead uh us if we're gonna move in there." He dropped his head, glancing over at Andrea under the brim of his hat.

"Yeah," Andrea jumped in, taking direction from Shane. "We didn't have too much time to look around but we pulled the gate closed on our way out. There was a lot of stuff there but it's too dangerous to go in if you're not heavily armed, unless you've got a death wish."

Carol furrowed her brow, she'd left Sophia at the table and come to join them. "So we can't clear it?"

"Never said that." Shane insisted. "Once it gets cleared out there's a lot of good supplies and that gate will hold against quite a bit of force. It's just a matter of figuring out how to clear it. Might take more time than we got here."

Next to Shane, Carl bounced with nervous energy. The gunshot wound had done little to slow the boy's adoration of Shane. Maybe that had something to do with Shane being the one to bring back the equipment that saved the preteen's life. "We can do it though, right?" He questioned excitedly. "There are houses there, Shane said. We could each have our own house. No more tents!"

"Slow down, little man." Shane chuckled, smiling slightly at the boy's energy. "Yeah there's houses but who knows if we can make sure they're clean. We'd have to go house by house, room by room. Could take days, maybe even weeks before I'd feel comfortable enough to stay there for good." He patted Carl on the head. "I'm gonna go look for yer dad." He addressed Carl. "Need to talk things through with him before we go makin' big plans. I wanna find out what he's got out of Hershel."

Grace froze. Shane couldn't find Rick and Lori now. Not if Lori was really serious about trying to fix her marriage and staying with Rick. They needed their alone time to sort through their issues. If Shane went interrupting them now, it would throw the couple right back into their downward spiral. She was just about to speak up when Rick walked up the road.

"There ya are, man." Shane nodded. "Was jus' tellin' Carl how I was gonna come looking for ya."

Rick gave a curt nod back to his friend. He glanced over at Grace briefly and Grace knew they would end up having a talk sooner or later about her part in Lori's failed abortion attempt. She didn't know how Rick felt about the concept of abortion pre-end of the world, but it certainly seemed like he didn't like the idea much of it now. Then Rick gave Grace a small squeeze together of his lips. It wasn't anywhere near a smile but she somehow understood his acceptance of her role. He didn't seem to blame her at least. She was only doing what Lori thought she wanted after all. If anything she was being helpful. Morning after pills would have done shit all if Lori actually did want to get rid of the pregnancy. The lack of reproductive education in this damn country was astounding. Rick probably just wished she had broken her promise to Lori and spilled the secret. It must have sucked to find out the way he had, with his wife throwing up in the woods and sobbing like a lunatic.

The sheriff gave a small cough, clearing his throat and focusing all his attention on Shane. Grace could see the twitch in his wrist as he shoved his hand into his pocket as he locked on to his best friend. "So what did you find, Shane?"

Lori had told him. Grace knew, just from the way Rick was staring Shane down trying to sort himself out while still holding onto his illusion of calm. Lori had spilled all her secrets and Rick was well aware of the possible third wheel that went into making that baby. It was just what she had wanted to avoid. There were no DNA tests post-end of the world.

Rick was sizing up his opponent.

Shane, oblivious to everything that was going on, rested a hand on Carl's shoulder casually to keep the boy from bouncing too much. "It's a swarm there, man. We could clear it out but we'd need the manpower." He shrugged. "Contained though, the kid was right about that fence keeping things out. Andrea and I got it closed behind us on our way out. There's nothing going to get in, or out, of there."

"So it's an option?" Rick's fist was clenched in the pocked now.

"I'd say. If we can get people. Grace," Shane turned to her and she gave a startled jump at being addressed when she was focused so much on watching Rick's reactions to the conversation.

"Wha…!" She blurted before sucking in a breath and steadying her voice. "What's up?"

"Those people you were with. You said they were pretty crowded in there right? Lots of people and not enough rooms? How'd you think they'd take an offer of a place to stay if they helped out? Hell, it's big enough that I'd say Hershel's people could set up farm there. Might need to refit a couple of garages and what have you…" Now Shane was looking as excited as Carl. "What'd ya think they'd say?"

"I don't know…" It was true. Grace had met them sure but she'd spent less than 24-hours there. In that time it was nearly impossible to know how those people would react.

"We should go see." He pushed the matter, even as Grace was giving her wary response. "Wouldn't mind checking out their set-up anyway. I want to see how they're handling numbers. Might give us some ideas for ourselves."

Rick gazed around the small group gathered. "I think we should think about discussing a visit to their home then. A sort of meeting the neighbours, if you will. I'd like to thank them personally for their help with the Grace and Sophia matter."

"Well someone's gotta stay behind with our shit." Daryl grunted from behind Grace. She'd nearly forgotten he was there. So far he'd done a pretty good job at holding in his temper and just blending into the shadows.

"True enough," the sheriff agreed. "How's about we discuss it around dinner?"

The grunt of acceptance was enough for Grace to know that Daryl was going along with it… at least for now. He'd probably have choice words when he realized Shane was eyeing her up. The other man most likely expected her to go along with as ambassador of peace to convince the other group to join forces with them. There was no way that Daryl was going to go for that.

She wanted to though.

The feeling hit her quite suddenly. She actually wanted to go back to that other farm and get away from everything at this one for a while. That would be a better escape than doing laundry or sorting through medical supplies. She'd take Daryl with her if she needed to, damn it. If there was one thing Grace needed more than being close to Daryl right now it was being as far away from Lori and her pregnancy.

Because it was starting to hit her.

If everything went according to plan, Lori would have a baby in a couple of months. The bile started rising up in Grace's throat as Carol whisked Andrea away to get cleaned up and Shane and Dale went into the RV to talk about planning a trip to visit the other group. Grace watched Rick settle Sophia and Carl back down at the picnic table with a promise that he'd be just inside the RV if anything happened.

Grace caught Daryl watching her as she watched Rick, his expression mixed.

"Wha's a matter?"

"Nothing," she shook her head quickly. "Merle was hunting right?" Grace changed the subject. Merle had actually offered to go out and do a little bit of hunting on the far side of the farm, well away from the house where it would hopefully not attract any unwanted attention. "Would you mind going to see if he's got anything? We should start supper soon."

"You mean, you should," Daryl teased, stepping in closer to her. "Ain't lettin' ya drag me inta the kitchen any time soon."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Grace laughed. "I think Hershel's had it up to here with us cooking in the house. It's back to open fires and roasting spits for us. You can do that, right? It's practically BBQing and that's downright manly." Lightly she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Go find that asshole and bring him home with food alright."

Daryl's eyes narrowed as if he could tell something was off but Grace just smiled at him. Careful of his injured side, Daryl gave her a slight squeeze and a kiss that nearly missed her lips it was so quick. "Be back in a lil'bit. Don't do nothin' stupid while I'm gone."

* * *

Dinner was far too complicated now. Getting all those people together and fed took a lot of effort and Grace just didn't feel like it anymore. First there was the preparation involved with cooking outside which involved making sure that not only were the dishes that they were going to use clean, but also that the food itself was. Then there was cooking over fire which never cooked evenly and took more patience than Grace had ever had. When everyone gathered, they sat discussing the trip that Shane had suggested and even once that was over and handled, there was still clean-up to do.

They couldn't leave anything out, even for a little bit; it would attract too much unwanted attention. If it wasn't walkers stumbling in on their camp, then the thought of some starving animal wandering through the tents had everyone scrubbing down any surface that had come into contact with even the slightest bit of food. One meal felt like it took hours, though she was grateful they didn't have to gut and pluck the string of birds Merle had brought back with him. If there was one thing the Dixons were firm on, it was field dressing their game. There was no bring it back and burying the extra body parts at camp, too much of a risk. No, instead they brought back cleaned carcasses for the most part.

They hadn't needed to be that careful at camp; sometimes Merle would gut things right in the middle just to get a squeal out of Amy and disgruntled looks from everyone else. He liked the attention it brought him but he wasn't stupid. He was more cautious now, fewer fights, fewer confrontations, and fewer appearances altogether. He was practically a ghost. Hell, Merle had washed his own plate after dinner before stacking it neatly in the dish tray and getting the fuck out of dodge, heading back to his camp at the outskirts of their little tent city.

Grace didn't like it. This watered down Merle was making her nervous.

Grace stacked the last of the dishes in the cupboards of the RV, checking quickly to make sure the stash of drugs was still safe in its hiding place. Everything was there and accounted for. Nothing to worry about on her end of things, unless Merle was making his own meth now. Grace had little idea how one went about making meth but it couldn't be too hard seeing as she'd heard of people actually getting pretty close to making meth directly inside of Walmarts when they were too broke to buy the ingredients.

"Ya goin' ta sit by the fire?" Daryl grunted in the doorway. He'd followed her over apparently, though he'd just opened the door to the RV.

"I think I'm going to bed. I want to rest up for tomorrow."

Shane had bluntly asked if she was coming with for their visit as she was passing out water bottles while everyone was sitting down to eat. She had said yes, after a quick glance over to Daryl to make she he wasn't going to tie her up to keep her on the farm. There hadn't been any protest though, a simple nod of agreement and an equally determined response that if Grace was going then Daryl would be as well. The rest of their group was made up of Andrea, Shane, and T-Dog. Rick was opting to stay with his family and though Glenn had looked as though he wanted to go with, Grace was sure he didn't volunteer because he'd been fighting with Maggie again.

Daryl nodded, fishing a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket and slid a half smoked on between his lips. "Good idea," he mumbled around the cylinder, lighting it and shoving the lighter back in his pocket. "I'll probably head in after I have a chat with Merle." He looked at her through the screen still separating them. "Ya okay with being in the tent alone?" Daryl turned from the door, still keeping his eyes on her and exhaled smoke into the night.

She nodded, "Probably going to read for a little while first. I set the lanterns out this afternoon so I'll have enough light. I'll most likely still be up if you're not going to take long."

"Here," He said, sliding open the panel on the door that allowed for things to be passed in. "Take my smokes back ta tha tent, would ya?" He shook the package out and she leaned down to catch them with the tips of his fingers. "My luck, Merle'd take 'em from me once he found out I got 'em."

The package was new, or at least reasonably new, it looked pretty well crushed already but that, Grace guessed, was probably from him trying to hide them. "Where are these from?" She shoved the package into her own pocket.

"Chinaman brought 'em back." Daryl shrugged.

Grace didn't bother correcting him, just rolled her eyes. "I'll see you in a bit?" She questioned.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Shouldn't be long."

Grace expected him to leave right away, hurry off to find Merle for whatever brother to brother chat he wanted to have, but instead Daryl stood awkwardly puffing on the butt of his cigarette as it burned down. Finally as she was sorting out the last of the dishes, he stomped the end under his boot and narrowed his eyes at her through the screen.

She turned to him expectantly and they had a short standoff before Daryl sighed, his hand coming up to the back of his head. "Di' I do somethin'?" he mumbled nervously.

Grace gave a quick shake of her head to make sure she'd heard him correctly. "What?"

"Dunno," he muttered, staring hard at his boots. "Yer… off today. Tried gettin' ya alone, tried givin' ya space, but ya ain't said boo ta me 'bout it so now I gotta ask: di' I do somethin' wrong?"

"Of course you didn't!" Grace protested forcefully. "What on earth would make you think that you'd done something?"

Daryl looked up, almost offended by the tone she was using with him. "Well somethin's fuckin' botherin' ya. If it ain't me then what is it? Yer putterin' 'round makin' up jobs and tryin' ta damn well hide yerself from e'eryone. Ya gonna tell me or should I jus' fuck off an' pretend I ain't noticed how worked up ya been?"

Grace released the air caught in her throat. She couldn't tell Daryl, not yet at least. It would be breaking her promise to Lori and the damn woman had even called in old school patient confidentiality when she was telling her in the first place. That wasn't something she could go breaking. She was surprised that Daryl had caught on at all. Here she'd been thinking that she had been doing a pretty good job at hiding her growing distraction but apparently he'd seen through it the entire time. Their snuggle session in the tent made a lot more sense now - he had been trying to suck up, to convince her to open up to him somehow.

She wanted to tell him now. He was staring up and her with all kinds of hurt in those bottomless blue eyes of his. Daryl honestly did think he'd done something wrong somehow and he had been trying to fix it in his awkward Daryl sort of way. Grace closed her eyes and leaned forward, resting her head against the cabinet. This wasn't the time or place. Not yet. Not when she knew that Daryl would probably be furious with Lori's stupidity, not when she knew he'd catch on to just how short of a time Rick had been back, not when she could still picture him going back to sit at that little unmarked grave.

"Grace?" She heard the rattle of the door handle and felt the RV quiver as Daryl pulled himself inside.

"I'm alright, Daryl." She turned toward him, taking a step forward to stand directly in front of him. She could still picture him going back to sit at that little unmarked grave.

"Grace?" She heard the rattle of the door handle and felt the RV quiver as Daryl pulled himself inside.

"I'm alright, Daryl." She took a step forward to stand directly in front of him. "It's not me. Just something I promised I wouldn't talk about."

She could see the cogs turning in Daryl's head as he tried to sort through possible scenarios. He didn't seem frustrated, which Grace had expected and almost prepared herself for. Instead he made the final step up into the trailer and put his rough hands on either side of her face. "You'll tell me when yer ready?" She nodded and he bent to rest his forehead against hers. "Don't worry me like that, 'kay?" And he gave her a firm kiss before pulling back and stepping back out of the RV, heading across the lawn and toward his brother's camp.

She'd have to tell him about Lori sooner or later. If he found out from anyone but her, Daryl would be furious. Grace couldn't hold it in, not for too much longer anyway. Already she could feel it starting to affect her. The longer she had to think about it the more real Lori's pregnancy was to her.

And the more she missed her own.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Grace slept roughly all night. She'd worried herself into a state of full alertness by the time Daryl had come back from his visit to Merle and was barely able to force herself to fall asleep when he reminded her that she needed to get some rest. Daryl was right though, and after he turned out the lanterns and crawled under the light covers with her, Grace had fought to keep her eyes closed and lose herself in Daryl's breathing. She had eventually fallen into a light, restless sleep, only to wake-up with a jolt at every sound.

As the first dim morning light lit the tent, she found herself laying on her back staring up at the care instructions tag stuck to the ceiling, completely and totally unable to fall asleep again. Her thoughts racing through her head rapid fire.

Lori.

Lori's baby.

Lori and Shane's baby.

Not Rick's baby.

Definitely not Grace's baby.

The baby that would be born sometime in the next seven to eight months.

Grace's baby would have been born in March.

Late March.

In like a lion out like a lamb.

A little lamb born in March.

Pink and perfect, with Daddy's squinting blue eyes and probably his scowl.

But his smile too.

The one she had to work so hard to earn sometimes.

Beside her, Daryl grunted as he turned to rest on his left side. He rolled back the other way, the pain not enough to wake him up fully. Grace stared at him hard. What on earth would they have done with a baby? She could picture him perfectly, balanced on shaky legs holding the baby on top of his open hands, not wanting to drop it, but not wanting to pull it in close to his body either. Daryl's eyes would be wide with fear; fear and adoration. He wouldn't have a fucking clue what to do and he'd be quick to pass the baby to the next person who came along that was willing to take it.

But, he'd hover when he did.

She could already see his face scrunched up just as much as the newborn's. Watching and analyzing everything everyone did with _his_ baby. Because Daryl would be possessive as fuck. He'd lack confidence and be nervous but he'd want to do something. If the baby cried, he'd demand something be done to fix it. To make it better. Until he learned and gained the confidence he needed to help out, Daryl would be a shadow haunting that baby, making sure it was taken care of quick and proper, but not able to do it himself. He would learn though. His possessive nature wouldn't let others be in charge for too long. He'd want to do it himself, not trusting anyone else to do it properly.

Grace sucked in a shaking breath and tried to focus on the shadowed pattern of leaves against the top of the tent.

She couldn't think that way. There wasn't going to be a spring lamb for her and Daryl. There was nothing to look forward to and wasting her time imagining a future that didn't exist would only pull her deeper into her state of longing and make her resent Lori. That she most definitely could not allow herself to do. Already there was Shane and Rick to worry about; she didn't need to add her own resentment into the mix. Somewhere deep down she had to find it in her to support Lori fully. She needed to be there for the other woman. Without everyone involved, the baby would get them all killed. Lori was right for once when she had said that every cry would put them in danger. They would need someone on baby duty so Lori could rest often. They would need stricter guard schedules. Lori and this baby would be dependent on them to keep them safe, comforted, and fed.

The old saying, "It takes a village to raise a child" came to mind. They didn't have a village to live in but they had the people. It would have to be everyone's baby for it to survive and thrive in this shithole of a world.

Shane was right about getting them a safe place. More so now than anything else. They couldn't spend the winter in tents on Hershel's back lawn. They needed a wall around them. A palisade. A moat and a fucking drawbridge if they could manage it. Maybe some crocodiles.

The image of trained reptiles chasing walkers away from a heavily guarded castle in the Georgia wilderness had Grace bring a hand to her mouth to stop the giggling. That was a safe fantasy. No thoughts of children and pregnancy and babies there.

Daryl made a choking cough sound and cleared his throat. Giving a startled gasp, his eyes popped open. Grace rolled over to her side so he could see her clearly as his eyes searched the tent. When he locked on to her he sighed and closed his eyes again. "Time is it?"

"Not sure." Grace rolled onto her back beside him both of them facing the roof of the tent now. For whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to touch him. "I've been up for a while."

"Ya were up half the night." She turned to him shocked and he faced her, cracking his eyes open. "Like sleeping with a puppy, tha way ya spent half the night wigglin' 'round. Missin' that house bed now, huh?"

She tried to smile, honest to God she did, but it felt too much like lying. "Not really."

Daryl smile dropped and he grimaced, "Figured that. Ya ain't a house cat like some uh 'em. It's what was botherin' ya yes'erday, right? What ya won't talk ta me about?" His face darkened and he turned away from her. "Whatever. Fuck'd I need ta know fer? Ain't my business."

"Daryl!" Grace promptly scolded right.

"I know you'll tell me when yer ready." He gave her a grimace. "Dunno why it bothers me so much." She watched as he turned away from her completely, rolling over onto his good side and pushing his fists under the pillow. She could tell he was pouting. Was there a more macho version of it? She'd never tell Daryl that she thought he was pouting to his face. Sulking or brooding maybe? Though 'brooding' made him sound like a cheap Harlequin character.

"Daryl," she tried again, more softly this time. Running her fingers up the back of the wife beater he was sleeping in, Grace brushed at the wisps of hair at the back of his neck. He gave a snort of attempted disinterest but it was painfully obvious that her inability to reveal whatever was bothering her was upsetting him. It was hard to determine if he was upset because she wasn't telling him or if it was because he was interested in the first place. Either one was enough to set him off like this.

Though it felt like breaking Lori's confidence, Grace could feel her resolve slipping. "You're going to have to sit up if I tell you." She insisted and Daryl twisted his head to crane over his shoulder.

"Fer real."

"What I say doesn't leave this tent though." She scowled. "It's gonna cause enough problems when it does. I don't want to be the one to blame for that."

Daryl shoved the pillows behind his head and hauled himself into a reclined but upright position. Grace pulled herself upright as well. Crossing her legs under the blankets to face him, her knee against his thigh, she sucked up the courage to look Daryl in the eye.

He scowled at her reluctance and leaned over, snatching her hand out of her lap and giving it a hard squeeze. Daryl gave a tug, pulling her toward him and then a second more determined tug when she wouldn't move. "Listen here," He grumbled. "Ain't gotta tell me. Jus', I dunno, tell me I ain't gotta worry 'bout ya."

"I really am fine." Physically at least, mentally, Grace was finding herself a little bit more jumbled than she would have liked to be.

"'Kay," he nodded, firmly. "I don' need ta know. So long as yer okay."

Grace gave in then, letting herself fall forward onto him, pushing against him. Why had she been avoiding this? The comfort that he provided her. She knew him, knew Daryl inside and out, but still she was hiding. "It's Lori." She found herself mumbling into his shoulder, words mashing up against his skin as they left her lips. "She's pregnant."

Her eyes were closed and she felt more than saw the tensing of his muscles. "That so." Daryl slowly let out his breath. He pulled his arm up and wrapped it around her shoulders, letting her hide the shame of giving up the secret so easily in the silence between them.

Though there was really no reason to but Grace felt the pinch of tears in the back of her eyes. So she'd sort of lied to him and now she was going to be a total girl and cry all over him as well. She sniffed trying to fight them back.

"Hey now," He gave her a little shake, "don't be doin' that."

"I'm not doing it on purpose." Grace insisted, sniffing again and rubbing her eye. "I'm just… I don't know what I am any more. I don't have words for what I'm feeling right now."

"Yer mad 'cause it ain't ya?" There was conviction in his voice, and understanding. He knew her too well for her to hide that from him once she did reveal the secret. Maybe that had more to do with why she hadn't told him than anything else. Half the damn camp would know about Lori in a few days. That was just how Rick was: honest to a fault. It wasn't about holding Lori's confidence so much as it was keeping her own secret hidden. Part of her really wanted to be pregnant after their slip up at the CDC.

It was wrong though. It was replacing the child she had lost with another and that, more than anything else, was why she knew she couldn't be pregnant herself. She was jealous of Lori for sure but more because of the idea of it. She wanted a second chance but this wasn't the same world she had thought she was having a child in before. Everything was different now, after the CDC and all that stuff with Jenner. Finding out how little hope there was.

Lori wouldn't be giving birth in a hospital, that was for sure, and even if they did find a hospital, it wouldn't be under the care of doctors and nurses. If they hung around here it was quite likely that Grace herself would be in charge of helping deliver the baby while Hershel and Patricia helped. If they didn't stay, she might be on her own.

And then who would be responsible for helping Grace if she wound up in that situation herself?

Not the right time, not the right place, not the right reasons.

She was jealous and even though she knew it was wrong to be jealous, it was nice to have Daryl acknowledge her feelings just for a little bit. Grace lifted her face to look at him, rolling back when she realized just how close she was squished into his injured side. "Sorry," she looked sheepishly at the bandages.

"S'all right. I weren't exactly complainin'. 'Sides I'd rather have ya cryin' on me then hidin' shit like that."

"What would Merle say if he heard you saying that?"

Daryl shrugged, "Call me a pussy prol'ly. Ain't worryin' 'bout him though. I's jus' us in here."Daryl slid his arm down from her shoulders and under her arm to pull her on top of him more, wincing at the pressure but fighting against the pain. "So ya want a kid tha' bad, huh?" Fingers barely grazing her forehead, Daryl brushed the hair out of her eyes.

Forcefully she had to shake her head. "No."

"No?" He cocked his head and licked his lips.

"Not now. This isn't the right time or place." Now it was her turn to shrug as she leaned down and rested her arms on his chest and her chin on top of those.

Daryl raised an eyebrow. "Weren't what ya was sayin' a couple uh days ago."

"No it wasn't. That was… look if it happens then it happens but I don't think I want to start trying on purpose. I was out there with Sophia, just us two, and it wasn't pretty. We made it, but if we hadn't run into people we wouldn't have made it long. That was pure luck. If they hadn't been good honest folk both of us could have ended up dead or worse."

"Don' talk like that." He tensed.

"It's true, Daryl. We were damn lucky out there. I didn't consider pulling out the gun until we met other people." She looked him in the eyes, locking on to his gaze. "This isn't a safe place for us. We'll be leaving as soon as we find somewhere that's better. Who knows how soon we'll move on after that? Lori's going to be a liability if we're on the road. If she carries to term, she's going to get big and slow. She'll be tired. After the baby is born we'll be stuck for a few days at the minimum. That's if everything goes well. If we're still moving around and hiding then every time that baby cries, it'll be like ringing a dinner bell." Grace swallowed hard.

Daryl slid his hand up to rest on her cheek. "Grace," he exhaled.

"Not our baby, Daryl. I'm not doing that to _our _baby." She closed her eyes, not able to look at him anymore. Not to admit this. "I was going to help her abort it but she changed her mind last minute and then Rick showed up. It's been bothering me ever since and I can't say that I agree with her choice given our current situation."

"What 'bout that place Shane's talkin' 'bout clearin' out? Big wall. Lo's uh space. House uh our own. Havin' a kid'd be safer there. Next bes' thing ta tha ol'world."

Grace could feel the twitch at the corners of her mouth from how determined his voice sounded, and opened her eyes again. "So you've got baby fever now too, Mr. Dixon?"

"Jus' been thinkin' 'bout how messed up ya was af'er everythin' happened with the baby." He brushed her hair back again, fingers settling back down on her cheek. "Thought 'bout it a lot when I was out lookin' fer ya. Tha' shouldn'ta happened ta ya. I mighta been scared ta have a kid but ya took it an' run. Snapped me inta place. Ya deserved tha' baby." Daryl dropped his eyes, staring off to the side behind her head. "If I could give ya tha' back I would. I'd give ya tha fuckin' world. Pullin' down the moon an' all tha' shit."

She was getting goose bumps up her spine from listening to him talk like this. Maybe Andrea had snuck a few of those crappy romance novels into the room when she'd made her apology. He wasn't usually like this.

Daryl gave a shuddering breath and looked back at her, "Gimme something here, sweetheart, 'cause I'm fuckin' shit at this. Tryin' ta tell ya… well fuck I dunno what I'm even tryin' ta say no more. Never done this before." He looked at Grace then, eyes pleading for her to step in and take the reins before he completely lost himself.

"I get it." Grace offered, cutting off Daryl mental self-torture. Leaning in she brushed her lips against his. "Thanks for trying to say it," She whispered against his lips, kissing him hard.

* * *

Breakfast was a tense affair. Everyone was starting to feel the strain on their supplies. The MREs were gone and they were depending almost entirely on Hershel's handouts. No one was particularly fond of that.

On top of everything else, the day was already heating up. Grace could feel the sweat beading between her shoulder blades where her back pressed against the lawn chair she was sitting in. Daryl sat to her right, slumped in his chair, resenting being around everyone. He hadn't uttered a word since he had mumbled a thank you to Carol for bringing them each a plate. Carol had smiled back when Grace insisted that she was able to do it herself but Carol wasn't having any of that.

"I don't mind," she was glowing while everyone else was rumpled and sticky from the heat. "I like feeling like I'm giving back, being useful, you know?" Carol glanced over at where Carl and Sophia had set up their own little breakfast for two and were chattering.

"You don't owe me, Carol." Grace shook her head. "I didn't do it so you'd feel you owed me a debt."

Daryl was watching them now, slowly chewing his eggs with narrowed eyes. When Grace caught his eye he raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that, Grace." Carol insisted, leaning over and resting a hand on Grace's shoulder. "I just think that you and Daryl both deserve a little bit of relaxation. If I can help out I will. I was a bump when Ed was around. He barely let me out of his sight. Now I get to do things because I _want _to, not because I have to. It's a relief." And she smiled so brightly that Grace couldn't bring herself to argue any more.

"Morning!" Claire practically skipped into camp with Jimmy and Beth close behind. She'd spent the night in Beth's room again and had apparently been allowed to raid Beth's wardrobe too. The teen was wearing a slinky pink tank top and cut off jean shorts. Grace was glad to see her hanging out with people her own age. It was a far cry from spending nights watching Merle clean squirrels and a far healthier option.

"Good morning, Claire," Carol smiled, "Food is on the fire if you're hungry."

"Thanks," Claire smiled, "Grace, have you seen my black sweatshirt?"

Grace was just about to answer when Merle's voice cut through the circle of people around the fire. "Ya best be lookin' fer that sweatshirt. Get back in that fuckin' house an' put somethin' on fer I take ya over my knee. What the fuck are ya runnin' 'round here dressed like a whore for? Jesus, girl."

The teenager turned scarlet and crossed her arms over her slight frame. "Merle!" she whined, "There ain't nothing wrong with how I dress."

"House." He grunted and slammed a huge scoop of eggs onto his plate. Merle continued to load his plate, taking well more than his fair share, and not even looking at Claire. "Don' make me repeat myself. Get yer ass in tha damn house an' put some clothes on."

Grace looked shocked at Merle as the redneck plunked down into an empty lawn chair, fork already sliding into his mouth. "What did you just say to her?"

"Tol' her she looks like a whore." He looked up over his plate and glared at Claire, "Tol' ya I wasn't repeatin' muhself."

Scowling, Claire spun on her heels and stormed off back toward the big, white farmhouse, Beth and Jimmy following close behind her.

No one made any move to intervene; in fact everyone seemed to be doing a good job at avoiding eye contact all together. They were listening though, pretending to be engrossed in their meals or little conversations. Shane was the only one openly looking and he seemed to be waiting for the explosion that was about to come. While Rick had turned away and was facing his wife and son, Shane was staring, hands cupping the back of his head with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Yeah, he was waiting for a show.

"I cannot believe that you just did that." Grace spluttered, ignoring her audience.

"Wha's tha'?"

"Where do you get off talking to her like that?"

Merle looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Tha fuck ya talkin' 'bout, Gracie?"

Digging deep inside her, Grace tried to centre her anger and channel it into something that didn't involve her shooting Merle in the leg and leaving him somewhere walkers would find him. "Do you have any idea what you just did to her?" Her voice was coming out in a hiss.

Lori stood swiftly and took two steps toward Carl, gesturing that the boy should take his plate and come with her. The woman looked down at her son's companion and Sophia looked to her mother. Carol just shrugged, allowing her daughter to make up her own choice. The little girl looked between Carol, Lori and Grace and then shook her head, clearly making the choice to stay put. Completely shocked, Lori huffed and took Carl by the arm, pulling him off toward the RV. The boy protested, dragging his feet and whining about not wanting to leave.

"Ya wanna think 'bout what'cher doin' there?" Merle put down his fork and narrowed his eyes.

Beside her, Daryl shook his head. He was hunched over his own plate, seeming to try and hide behind the potatoes. "Don't go startin' somethin' here." His expression and body language was clearly begging her to stop.

"Why shouldn't I?" She turned from Daryl to his brother, her voice raising with frustration. "I've seen how you are with her, Merle. You don't have any right dictating how she behaves."

"Why, are ya gonna do it?"

Now it was Grace's turn to narrow her eyes "You're not actually telling me that you're attempting to… Just want are you trying to do, Merle?"

Merle's entire body tensed, he dropped his fork onto his plate and stood so quickly that he knocked over the chair, sending it clanging to the ground where it folded in on itself and laid down flat. He threw the plate into one of the wash bins, sending food flying across the table the bin was set off.

"Easy now, buddy." Rick rose, stepping in front of Merle to make an attempt at settling the man.

"Ain't chur fuckin' 'buddy'!" Merle roughly shoved Rick out of the way. He squared off against Darly and snarled, "Brother, ya best be keepin' yer little bitch away from me lest I suddenly get the urge ta start beatin' on women." Daryl set his jaw until, on the other side of the fire, Shane made a snorting sound and Merle turned to him like an enraged bull. "Got somethin' ta say, Pretty Boy?"

"Yeah," Shane leaned even further back, "I'm pretty surprised that you're expecting us to believe that you don't beat on women."

The elder Dixon made a disgruntled sound. He took three steps across the campsite and stopped in front of Shane, flecks of spit already forming around the corners of his mouth. "I had jus' 'bout enough uh yer bullshit. I ain't no woman beater. Might be a little rough but I don't beat on women."

"Oh really? You think we don't see how you've been looking at her?" Shane chuckled. "Thank god Grace said something before you decided to push just a little harder until you got your way."

"Ya got a hearin' problem, pig? I ain't no woman beater. I wouldn't do nothin' ta tha' girl. She's a goddamn baby! Needs someone with a lick uh sense ta watch out fer her."

Andrea rolled her eyes and peaked out from behind Shane. "And that's supposed to be you?"

"Ya see someone better? Ev'ry damn one uh ya's gonna get someone killed an' I hope like fuck i's yerselves. 'Bout the only one 'round here that ain't actin' like they mentally retarded is Carol's brat and she's seven."

Across the circle Sophia flinched, clearly insulted to have her age judged so poorly, and Carol retreated to sit beside her daughter.

"Merle, this entire outburst is uncalled for." Rick was standing firm, his head held high and eyes locked. He looked ready to pounce should he need to. He was probably missing county issue equipment right about then.

"Go on then, offica', chain me up again. Leave me ta tha geeks. Fat lotta good ya ever did me."

"Merle," Daryl finally spoke up quietly, "Ya need ta leave."

Merle stopped and looked down shocked at his brother. "Wha'dya say ta me?"

"Told ya, ya need ta leave." Daryl set his face into a scowl but didn't look up from his meal. Grace could see the fork digging into his fingers where they were squeezing too hard. "We ain't got time fer this bullshit. Ya ain't no saint. No reason ya get ta be tellin' people how ta behave. There ain't no place fer tha'.'

"'M hearin' ya right." Merle's face fell. He suddenly looked very vulnerable and Grace almost wished that she hadn't called him out on the way he was talking to Claire in such a public way. She was only trying to back herself up with the group but it was a shitty idea. Merle needed to be handled one on one. He couldn't be confronted in a public manner like that without being expected to explode.

Still looking confused at his brother Merle shook his head, the force shaking his whole body. "Fine, fuck all uh y'all." He sneered, turning on his heel and smashing his way through camp, retreating toward the camp he and Daryl had originally set up for themselves.

"Jesus," Shane shook his head, almost grinning. "He needs to be dealt with before someone gets hurt. We best start talking about how best ta get him to leave."

"No," Grace protested before she even knew her mouth was open. "I mean, he's not leaving. That's murder. No one's going to survive on their own."

"You did it, didn't ya?"

"For a couple of days. You send him out there and you're signing his death warrant." She shook her head and stood up.

Daryl's hand shot out and caught her wrist. "Leave him, Carter."

"Don't," she flinched at the touch, "I've got to fix it."

"He's a big boy. Gotta sort hisself out."

"And I'm a big girl who needs to watch her mouth. I'm going after him."

"Fine," Daryl scowled. "Go take care uh yer shit." He hunched back over his plate.

Shane looked quickly between them as Grace started to leave. "That's it. Yer jus' lettin' her go! Yer brother's a psychopath and yer jus' lettin' Grace chase after him? Yer a damn coward, that's what you are, Dixon."

"Shane, don't try to talk about things you don't understand." Grace put herself between Shane and Daryl. Daryl was doing his best to stay behind Grace and not show the fury boiling up under his skin but Grace knew he was seething at being called a coward.

"Whatever, Grace." Shane threw his hands up. "Can't help ya people no more. Bunch uh hillbilly lunatics." He swung himself out his lawn chair and stormed off in the opposite direction of Merle.

Grace looked back at Daryl but he didn't seem to be looking for any way to stop her chasing after Merle. He'd dropped back into his chair and gone back to mutely swallowing bite after bite of his breakfast, staring into the fire with a distant expression. Setting her own face, Grace turned away from the group to go find Merle.

* * *

The spot Daryl and Merle had originally chosen for their campsite was a good distance from everyone else, not too far from Hershel's abandoned barn. The brother's valued their privacy and Merle was much more protective over his things than Daryl. Grace had to walk past the shed where she and Lori had gone the afternoon before and even then there was a short walk to the foundation where Merle's tent was. At some point there must have been a second house on the property because the foundation had a tall chimney and could quite easily be paced out if the person looking was paying attention. It wasn't a large foundation and the majority of it was crumbling but it would have been a fair sized building.

For whatever reason, Merle hadn't been using the chimney for fire and had instead dug a large pit in front of his tent. Beside the pit was the majority of a tree, which had probably been pulled out of the woods. When Grace found him, Merle was sitting on the log and sharpening his knife aggressively.

"Go the fuck away, Gracie."

"I came to talk."

"Tha's fuckin' great. Go do yer talkin' wit' someone who gives a damn." Merle looked up at her and fingered the knife carefully. "'Less yer thinkin' ya wan' me ta force ya to."

"Put the damn knife down," Grace sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're not going to stab me."

The elder Dixon huffed with resentment. "Ya ain't scared uh me no more are ya? Gettin' pretty brave for a stupid little bitch."

Trying her best to ignore his taunting, Grace licked her lips, "I'm sorry, alright?"

"Yer sorry?!" The burst of obscene laugher nearly made Merle drop his knife. He rocked on his log, spinning the weapon between his fingers. "Lis'en Grace, ya ain't my problem. I don't give a shit 'bout what ya say ta me. I don't need yer 'I'm sorry's to make me feel better. Yer right. That wha'cha wanna hear? I got no right bein' round the girl 'cause I'm a good fer nothin' sumbitch. Ya heard 'em. E'eryone uh those pricks was thinkin' it."

It was true. Grace didn't have a single response to that because it was true. Not one liked Merle. They didn't want him around. She was actually sort of shocked that he and Daryl hadn't separated from the group when she had gotten lost with Sophia. All this time she'd been thinking it was because they didn't want the burden of caring for the little girl but suddenly a new thought was starting to form.

"You started something with her didn't you?"

Merle looked offended. "Jus' what are ya tryin' ta say?"

"God damn it, Merle! She's fifteen. You just said not too long ago that she's a baby. You're what? Thirty years older than her? That's sick! Fucking SICK!"

The man's face turned a deep shade of red and he leaned over to stab the knife into the log before hauling himself to his feet. "Wha're ya getting' at? 'Cause if yer sayin'…"

Grace's head was spinning. Merle couldn't deny this, could he? Why the fuck else would he be bossing around the teenager if it wasn't because he wanted her all to himself.

Oh god! He wanted her to himself. He _was _grooming her. Maybe he'd wait a few years until she really was legal but if he started now, by the time she was eighteen she'd be wrapped around his finger and completely under his control. "There's no way! I'm not letting you manipulate that girl like that. You've got to stop."

Merle's hands were white balls of rage, clenched tightly at his sides now. "Shut yer mouth, Grace."

"No, this can't go on!"

"Told ya ta shut yer mouth. Ya don't know wha' tha fuck yer sayin'."

"And you've got no clue what you're doing. You're going to fuck her up." Grace was on a roll now, stomping her way toward Merle and shoving a finger into his face. "You better stop whatever the fuck you think is you're doing and leave that girl alone."

He roared then, right into her face, voice filled with exasperation, "D'ya honestly think I'm tryin' ta fuck tha' little girl?! I was right, yer all retarded. The whole fuckin' lot of ya! I. Didn't. Put. Hands. On. Her." Merle spat the words out, froth forming at the corners of his mouth. "I ain't no kid diddler, ya stupid BITCH!"

"And you expect me to just take your word for it?" Grace snarled back. "You're right someone does have to look out for her. So people like you don't try something."

"I! Would! Never!" Merle was huffing now, already his breath stunk of beer and Grace couldn't be sure he hadn't somehow gotten his hands onto something stronger. Hershel had a whole store of medicine in the house and Merle could have raided it.

"Are you even sober?" Grace hissed. "I told you. If you want to stay, you need to clean up your act."

"I had one fuckin' beer. There ain't anywhere near enough to get me drunk."

"And what about pills? Or did you hang on to a little bit of meth? Maybe you made your own. Is that why you're so close to that old barn?" Grace twisted to see the big building. The barn wasn't that far from the camp at all. Suddenly Merle's insistence on staying at a distance, even when Daryl moved closer to the group was worrisome. Sensing an opportunity, Grace pulled away from Merle and stormed over to the barn.

"Where're'ya goin'?" Merle gasped. "Ya don't really think…"

"I've got to check."

"How come ya never fuckin' trust me?" Merle's voice cracked and Grace stopped.

"What?"

"Ya never trust me. I told ya I wouldn't take nothin' an' I'm not. A couple uh beers ain't nowhere near makin' a meth lab on another man's property. I ain't like that." He reached up and ran a hand over his sweaty head. "An' I sure as shit ain't gonna go after that girl." Merle sighed. "D'ya really think that poorly uh me? Tryin' ta stick it inta babies?" Realizing that she wasn't trying to stop him anymore, Merle stepped around the fire to move closer to Grace. "She ain't got no family here, Gracie. No one's lookin' af'er her. Ya was a little but then ya was gone and we didn't know if ya was comin' back. So I stepped up. No way a lil'bit like tha' should e'er be on her own. Gotta keep her from endin' up with some ol'monster like me."

Grace froze at the confession. Merle feeling… responsible for someone? He didn't look after anyone but himself. Why the hell would he suddenly change his attitude?

"We keep draggin' tha' girl further away from her folks. I knew her daddy. We shoulda turned around right when she crawled outta tha truck. I owed it ta him. She's a good kid, Graice but she'll get chewed up an' spit out if she ain't careful. Not talkin' 'bout walkers neither. Someone's gonna see how innocent she is and take advantage uh her. I ain't gonna let that happen. We keep bumpin' inta people. She can't go dressin' like some whore when there's nothin' ta stop someone from goin' af'er her."

"You think someone's going to rape her if she wears a pair of shorts?"

"Tha' what ya call 'em? Looked more like panties if ya ask me. Had tha damn pockets hangin' out tha bottom they was so short." Merle shrugged. "Who knows who we're gonna run into. People do all sorts uh crazy shit when they get left on their own wit' no law or nothing. Jus' look at me, I'm clean as I ever been. Who'd a thunk it?"

* * *

Daryl watched as the Chinaman stumbled into camp, blinking sleep out of his eyes as he served himself breakfast.

"I think I hate midnight watch more than 3AM watch." He yawned and Daryl rolled his eyes. "I feel like I'm up half the night. You just fall asleep and you've gotta get back up for watch duty."

"Stop complainin'."

"Easy for you to say." The Asian grumbled. "You're off duty because of you're injured." He started stuttering as he realized just who it was he was talking to. "I mean, not that you don't deserve it. There's just more pressure on all of us now. Not really anything we can do about it though. You need rest. You've been resting, right? Grace said you were getting cabin fever though. Not used to being inside so long. Where's Grace?" He ended his rambling with a pitiful whine.

"Got inta it wit' Merle." Daryl shrugged and turned away. "Went ta talk ta him at our ol'camp."

"Old camp?"

"Out by tha barn."

Chinaman made a choking sound and grabbed his bottle of water coughing hard. "Grace is out by the barn?" He choked out as he got his breath back.

Daryl squinted, _an' they said Asians were supposed ta be smart_. "Ya deaf or somethin'? Tha's where we had the truck parked 'fore Grace moved us over here when she got back. Merle's still camped up there. Don't much like havin' people in his business."

"Oh god!" Now the kid was buryin' his face in his hands and huffin'.

"The hell's wrong wit' ya?"

"It's not safe."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Wha's it wit' e'eryone goin' off on Merle today. He ain't gonna do nothin' ta her. Jesus, people. Ain't we proved we ain't no threat?"

"Walkers." The kid groaned. "There's walkers in the barn."

"Wha?" _Walkers in the barn? Why the fuck would there be walkers in the fuckin' barn. Who'd keep walkers? Why hadn't they seen 'em yet? It was always so quiet up at Merle's camp, they'd uh heard somethin' wouldn't they._

Suddenly a thought hit him. It had always been quiet at the camp.

If there really were walkers locked up in the barn they probably hadn't even noticed anything going on around them. Merle had made sure their camp was kept as minimal as possible – they gutted everything in the woods and buried it before coming back, they never had high fires, hell, they'd tiptoed around the damn camp half the time like they were still out in the woods. The walkers probably hadn't even noticed anyone close to camp. The tents were far enough away that what little noise the brothers had made wouldn't have travelled far.

"Merle's gonna be yellin'!"

Chinaman was stuttering again. "I guess he's gonna be pissed, huh? I wanted to tell everyone when we were all together…"

"He's gonna be yellin' at Grace." Daryl correct and jumped to his feet.

Merle was gonna bring walkers down on 'em all and he'd be right there on the frontline with Grace!

* * *

Merle was calmer now; his voice back to a regular gruff tone, instead of hollering. Grace watched him plunk back down onto the log and begin wiggling the knife back and forth to free it from the wood.

"You've been doing a lot better." She tried not knowing if Merle was willing to take the praise, no matter how much he'd actually done to earn it. What a far cry she was from where she had been when she'd confronted Merle.

"Whatever," he grumbled.

"Must help that there's nothing around to take."

"Nah, jus' makes me wanna go find somethin'. I like a challenge. Tha' pharmacy tha' Chinaman's always runnin' ofta. I could hit tha' place up easy. Ain't gonna though, case yer worried."

Grace had to laugh, "Thanks for the reassurance."

"Doin' what I can."

The morning was cooler than it had been the past couple of days. Grace found herself stepping closer to the fire to fight off some of the wind. It wouldn't do to stay outside much longer. The afternoons would heat up but it was chilly in the morning with the wind blowing across the fields. It would be getting really cold soon. Silently she hoped for a late snow. "I should go back and help clean up breakfast."

"Think they'd let me back for some food?"

"After you threw that plate? I should probably bring it out here to you." Grace tucked her hands in her pocket. "I'll be back soon." She would grab a sweatshirt while she was there. The wind had a little bit of bite to it and she wanted something on her arms. The afternoon would probably be hot though.

The quickest way back to camp was past the barn and Grace followed the side of the decrepit wooden structure. On the way to the camp she had taken the longer way but she wanted to grab Merle a plate before everything was cleaned up.

The barn was off limits to them because of its age and lack of stability. No one really went close to it, there didn't seem to be a point. The structure was abandoned. She could hear the wind blowing through the holes in the side. It seemed like the whole building was groaning and swaying in the breeze. As she rounded the corner, the front doors swelled outwards. The trembled for a moment then collapsed back in again. Suddenly the doors pressed outward again violently, moaning louder this time.

There wasn't that much wind. There was nowhere near that much wind.

The doors were straining the chain now, a heavy padlock holding them in place. What was it Hershel had said about the barn? _'Old and ready to fall in. Not safe for anyone to be near.'_ The building looked pretty solid to her, especially with the doors smashing around the way they were now. With the light breeze that had been cooling her there wasn't enough force to make the doors rattle that hard and there wouldn't be the moaning. For a moment the breeze died down and the doors kept rattling. Without the clean air blowing on her face, a sudden powerful smell overwhelmed her.

Rot.

It smelled remarkably like the camp had smelled the morning after the walker attack. Death and rot. Human flesh baking in the confines of a stale wooden structure for days at a time. Skin melting off bones in the heat wave. Fluids rushing and pooling, swelling the skin to rupture and burst open spilling organs which would drag across the ground. Insects didn't seem to sense the difference between walker flesh and a properly dead body. They hung in clouds over the camp after the attack and with the wind dying down, Grace could hear a low hum accompanying the moaning from inside and the rattling creaking from the door.

There were walkers in the barn.

"GRACE!"

She turned at the sound of her name to see Daryl sprinting across the field, running full out to get to her.

"Don' go near tha barn!"

Daryl seemed oblivious to the rest of the group behind him. Rick and Shane leading the parade. Carl and Sophia were nowhere to be seen but Claire, Beth and Jimmy had rejoined the group. Beth seemed to be crying, while Jimmy and Claire attempted to comfort her. Andrea, Glenn and T-Dog were just behind the co-leaders and walking behind them were Carol, Dale and Lori.

Daryl grabbed her roughly, dragging her back from the barn wincing and hissing through his teeth. "There's walkers!" He gasped and Grace found herself nodding as his fingers bit into her upper arms.

"You can smell them. They're in the barn."

Daryl clung to Grace desperately, pushing her hair back and running his hands up and down her torso checking for bites or scratches. Grace could feel the insistence in his movements. The places where his thumbs had dug in when he first grabbed her were probably going to bruise.

"I'm fine. I didn't go near it." Grace insisted against Daryl's caring assault.

Daryl dropped his forehead to rest against hers. He sighed and knotted his hands in her hair tugging her close. "Thank fuck," he muttered, his breath rushing across her skin as he sighed.

"We'll talk to Hershel. Find out what the hell they're doing in there. We'll get it sorted out." She was trying to reassure him but Daryl shook his head. His fingers pressed against the back of her skull, pushing her face down into his chest so he could completely wrap his arms around her. Even with his shirt between them, Grace could hear the racing of his heart.

"I hate worryin' 'bout you." Daryl mumbled into her hair. "Hate what lovin' ya does ta me."

She pulled back, staring at him wide eyed and shocked. "What?"

"Shit." Daryl squeezed his eyes shut, somehow still oblivious to their approaching audience.

In the distance, Grace faintly heard Beth's wailing and Shane shouting wordlessly at the teenagers. The barn shook with the force of the walkers inside trying to get out as they too noticed the sound. Daryl's arms wrapped a little tighter around her, shielding her from the barn. There was still plenty of empty field between them and the others, who had slowed to a walk when they saw Daryl reach Grace.

"That's what you were trying to say this morning?" Grace prompted gently.

Daryl's eyes flew open. "Tha fuck else did ya think I was sayin'?"

"I don't know!" Grace protested, "That you wanted to protect me, I guess. Keep me safe. Provide for me."

He snorted softly and stared down at her. "An' ya didn't figure tha me wantin' ta do all those things meant I loved ya?"

"I didn't really know what it meant."

Daryl swallowed, "Guess tha's muh fault. Shoulda said it sooner. Shoulda said it 'fore all this shit. It shouldn'ta taken dead men walkin' ta get me ta say it. Been a long time comin', Carter, an' I shoulda had the balls ta say it sooner."

"Shhh," Grace insisted, stopping his rambling. "I get it." She leaned up and caught Daryl's mouth with her own in what was supposed to be a quick kiss before the others arrived but Daryl pushed down hard almost immediately, tongue forcing it's way between her lips and seeking inside to twist with her own. He kissed her sloppily, as if trying to make up for his lack of romantic confidence.

When they pulled back for air, he kept his mouth pressed close to hers, sharing each breath. "I love ya, Grace." He murmured against her lips, so quietly that if she hadn't felt the movement she probably wouldn't have known to listen for the words.

Before he could stop her, she pressed her lips to his briefly. "I love you too," she smiled as his hands tightened in the back of her shirt.

"Is she alright?" Rick's voice made them both jump and startled Daryl into grabbing Grace hard again, as if to protect her. The words made the barn rock as the walkers shifted from Grace and Daryl to following the sound of Rick's voice.

Grace nodded and pulled back a little so she could see that the group had finally closed in on them. Daryl didn't release his hold on her, just allowed her the room she needed to turn her head to show everyone she was alright, the temperature of his skin rising with embarrassment at being caught. "I'm fine, guys."

"Jesus," Shane muttered, taking a step around Daryl and Grace to get closer to the barn. "How many do ya think there's in there?" He leaned close to the door and the walkers inside pressed forward to meet him.

"Don't hurt them!" Beth screamed. She was struggling against Jimmy, who seemed to be having trouble holding her back. The teenager twisted and wretched herself free, flying with rage at Shane. Her fists connected with his chest, pounding hard and fast as her wails disrupted the walkers inside further. With Beth screaming at him, Shane caught her gently around the wrists and held her until she collapsed, exhausted against him still sobbing.

The walkers kept struggling, hurling themselves against the door and trying to break free. Shane hauled the girl back from the barn and toward the group, still holding her and trying to calm her with no luck. Daryl took note of what Shane was doing and pulled lightly on Grace as well.

"Le's get further back." He scowled and Grace nodded, she didn't want to be any closer than she needed to the stinking mass inside the barn.

When everyone was a safe distance away, the group looked around at each other. Carol had taken Beth from Shane taking over the process of settling her down with Claire's help. Jimmy stood back nervously pacing, eyeing his girlfriend, the barn and the people around him. Lori was arguing quietly with Rick while pointing furiously around them. Everyone else stood around quietly, shocked and confused.

Ahead of them, the barn doors swung out and then clattered back into place, the chain and padlock holding them firmly closed. For now.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

It took a while for the walkers in the barn to really sink in. Glenn sheepishly dragged himself around the outside of the circle as everyone discussed what exactly their options were. As they stood right now, there was no where they could go immediately. They had yet to visit the other farm and even then, they needed the food, fuel and supplies to support themselves when they got there. They were down to bare bones for everything but the medical supplies that had been brought back. No one could be expected to double the size of their group without everyone suffering.

Shane wanted to leave anyway, pack up and move to the other farm as soon as that one was deemed safe. It was only with a lot of discussion that he was persuaded to stay. It was like having a wild dog in camp though. Anyone who came too near got snapped at.

On the other side of the argument was Rick. Over the voices of terror, he calmly explained that no one had been hurt yet and that the walkers were contained for now. Wouldn't it do better to talk with Hershel and figure out if a solution couldn't be worked out? After all, it was his land and he was being a gracious host and allowing them to lick their wounds while camped out on his property.

"Herschel thinks those things are people," Dale reminded them. "It's his family in that barn. His wife and step-son."

"I think we can all vouch for their lost humanity," Grace scowled. Daryl was tense beside her and she could already feel what he was thinking. If the group chose to stay, they were leaving. The situation was driving a wedge in the group and splitting it in two.

"Just let me talk with him," Rick sighed, "We'll work something out."

"Fuck this!" Daryl stood. "We gotta move on from this place. Can't be stayin' here if there's things what wanna kill us sittin' on our front porch."

"No," Rick shook his head determined. "We need to have more time to think about this."

Grace rested her fingers on the warm skin of Daryl's arm to try to calm him a little. "So let's take the time to get all the information." Addressing the group at large, she raised her voice to be heard. "We up watch duty and have someone keeping an eye on that barn at all times. Anything that doesn't need to be left out gets packed away, ready to move the first sign of trouble. Rick talks with Hershel and another group goes to see about finding us somewhere else to go. Tonight we can sit down and discuss all our options when tempers aren't running so high."

Both Shane and Daryl snorted at that one.

"Ya expect us to stay here with those _things_ so close to camp."

"Sounds like you're volunteering for first watch, Shane." Grace quipped back and the officer stiffened. "Dale, I'll leave you in charge of organizing the rest of the duties around here. Daryl and I will go to the other farm and see what we can work out with them. It might take some negotiating; we've got little to offer them as it is."

Looking back at the house, Glenn offered to stay behind and help keep watch. Carol had taken Beth up to her sister with Jimmy in tow. Sophia had stayed behind and she and Carl were being watched over in the RV by Claire. It had to be difficult being torn between the two groups the way Glenn was. For whatever reason he'd locked on to Hershel's older daughter and seemed to be starting some sort of relationship. Maggie and Glenn were cute together but if she honestly thought that her step-mother and step-brother were sick and could somehow be cured, there was little they could do. It would be sad to leave behind Glenn if he chose to stay but Grace couldn't see herself staying put if those walkers didn't get taken care of.

* * *

"Grace?" The voice at the entrance of the tent was low through the zipped screen door, still Grace turned immediately as high on alert as she was. Carol nervously rocked back and forth on her heels. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Grace shifted the stuff she was sorting through to the side of the mattress leaving room to invite Carol to sit. Daryl had insisted that they pack up the tent and sleep in the truck. There was no reason to argue it, she'd rather have a layer of glass, metal, and plastic between her and walkers than the thin fabric of the tent. Of course it meant packing up their camp though. It made their choice far more clear than she was comfortable with.

If things didn't change, they were hitting the road as soon as the word was given.

The grey-haired lady sat cautiously on the mattress, crossing her ankles and Grace plunked down beside her. "Where's Daryl?"

"Helping Merle pack up their camp. We were going to move out there once Daryl was a little better but…" Her sentence dropped off there. With the barn so close to that camp it was even more dangerous a position than the one the group's camp was in. Merle had been furious when he found out and rightly so. Hershel keeping that a secret had put everyone at risk. The infection so close that they could smell it when they stood in the right place and the wind wasn't blowing too hard.

"Makes sense," Carol nodded, frowning slightly. "And you're leave once you're all packed up?"

"Yeah, Daryl's not willing to leave anything behind. Merle's coming with us. He's insisting on it. I think Shane wanted to come too but we need him here on guard duty. Dale's got them all on two hour rotation to keep everyone fresh. How's Beth?"

"Maggie took her. I think their whole family is a little upset with us right now. They're not speaking with any of us except Rick."

Grace snorted, "How's that going?"

Carol shrugged, "As well as can be expected I guess. They won't budge and we can't stay here if they don't." She twisted her fingers together in her lap, the action clearly displaying her discomfort. "I just," she took a shallow breath and tried again, "I want to come with you."

"What?" The question threw Grace for a loop and she felt her eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

"When you guys go to check out the other family, I'd like to come with."

"Carol…"

"No!" Carol seemed shocked at her own forceful tone but she carried on strongly. "I've got my daughter to think of. She's already been put in danger and those were the people who helped you get her back to me. I want to meet them."

"I was going to ask you to watch after Claire while we were gone actually." Grace admitted.

"We can bring her with. I'm not leaving Sophia behind, there's no one here to watch her. Everyone is doing guard duty but Lori and she's…" Carol grimaced.

Grace smiled a little. "She's had a rough few days."

In a whisper, Carol blurted, "She's being a downright bitch to everyone," then covered her mouth in shock. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," it was hard to fight back the laughter, "She's been in a mood for a while but like I said, it's been a rough few days."

"That's for everyone though." The other woman frowned, "I don't know why I said that. Guess I just need to let it out."

Grace responded with a nod, "So you really want to come with?"

"I'd like to be able to put a face to the story. Thank them for all they did."

"Daryl's not going to be happy to have tag alongs." Grace sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. It would take some working to get him to come around but Grace felt oddly better with no excuse to leave Claire behind. She missed the instant communication of phones. Who knew what could happen with them leaving. What they would come back to? She had wanted to leave Claire under the responsibility of someone she trusted but she hadn't felt good about it. It was more about somehow trying to shelter her. It had been a stupid idea. An old world way of thinking.

"I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry." Carol wrung her hands again. "Better for us to stay here."

Grace shook her head. "It'll be a tight squeeze in the cab but we'll put the girls in the back with the luggage. Claire and Sophia get along well enough. They'll have fun there."

There was a small intake of breath as Carol nodded. "I'll get the girls ready then." She closed her eyes for a moment. "We are coming back right?" Slowly she opened her eyes to stare at Grace and judge her response. The look was one of stubborn determination.

Oh shit.

Suddenly Grace was snapped out of her self-indulgent thoughts. They were coming back. Of course they would. Why would Carol think any differently? "Carol," Grace started slowly trying to phrase her words as carefully as she could so she didn't hurt anyone's . "Are you trying to stop us from separating from the group?"

"No. I didn't. I… no!" Carol stammered, looking embarrassed.

That was enough for Grace to understand. "We're not packing up because we're leaving. We're packing because we need to feel secure. We'd tell you, _I'd_ tell you, if that was what this was. We're coming back. I'm not running away from this. That's not who I am and even if that's what Merle was planning on doing, I wouldn't sneak away without any care for anyone else and Daryl wouldn't either. We've lost too many people."

"I'm sorry," her friend whispered and Grace found herself shaking her head furiously.

"Everyone else thinks that, don't they? That we're abandoning the group."

"Dale brought up the idea to Rick. They were talking about it when Dale was figuring out how to set up watch duty for tonight. Rick wanted to know if Daryl was well enough to stay up for watch and Dale made some mention of wondering if you would even be back." With a small shrug of her shoulders Carol's frown deepened. "Rick just kept talking about family. Something about families sticking together."

"Damn it!" Grace swallowed hard. "So everyone is thinking it. You should have just said as much." She tossed her hands up in the air. "I've gotta make sure that they don't think that we're running away from this. You pack what you need for you and Sophia then leave the rest of your stuff here. I want everyone to know we're coming back."

* * *

"Rick." Grace stormed across camp. "Rick, I need to speak with you!"

"Give us a minute, will you Shane?" Rick patted his friend on the back and the larger man walked off, looking curiously over his shoulder at Rick and Grace. "What's going on, Grace?"

"Do you really think we're leaving?"

"Aren't you?" The sheriff squinted his eyes in confusion. "You're going to touch base with the other group and see if we've got a place to stay there…"

"Cut the bullshit. Carol overheard you talking with Dale."

Sighing, Rick ran his fingers through his hair, caught in the act. "We discussed the possibility."

The snort of displeasure that Grace gave made Rick look up shocked. "Please. Were you simply too scared to come to talk to us about it? Why did I hear about this theory from Carol? You sure put a lot of effort into making sure that your family stays on the farm."

A flush burned up the sides of Rick's face under his stubble. "I didn't mean anything by it. You said yourself it would be safe at the other farm. Maybe we need to split up. Lori, Carl and I could stay here. We could meet-up with you after the baby is born."

Grace gasped. "This isn't about us at all is it?" Her head twisted to try and catch sight of Shane's retreating form but he was already gone. "You're worried about Shane." It was a statement, not a question. Rick was looking for a way to separate his family from Shane and push his friend to the side. It wasn't Grace and the Dixons that Rick thought were separating, it was the Grimes family.

Rick hung his head in shame. "How much did Lori tell you?"

They stepped around the topic that neither one of them wanted to bring up because it would mean a breach of confidentiality not to mention, if they other didn't know already, then it wouldn't be right to tell them. Rick knew. Grace wasn't sure how much exactly but Rick had either been told or figured it out himself the same way Grace did. It didn't take a genius to do the math. "Probably everything," Grace tried carefully. "You know that she was going to abort. I needed to know how far along she thought she was to make sure there wouldn't be complications."

Rick finally broke. "You're aware of the… thing with her and Shane then?"

She nodded.

"I just figured we could all use a break from each other and the barn being full of walkers gives me an excuse to ask for it without pointing out that I know about it. Shane doesn't know that I've been told. He's still hiding it. My best friend and he's still hiding that he jumped into bed with my wife after they thought I died." Rick gave an undignified snort of laughter that seemed completely out of character for the man. The sound made Grace's stomach twist with pity. He might have been playing it cool on the outside but under the cool exterior, Rick Grimes' whole world was shattering around him. "We'll join up with you again once the subdivision is cleared. Then we'll have our own house and it won't be such tight quarters. I just…"

"You need to start fighting for your family?" Grace offered.

The man looked up shocked, confusion washing over his face. "That's it! That's exactly it. I need to get them back." He shook the dazed look from his face as if he was just realizing why Grace had been so upset when she came over to see him. "Oh Grace, Carol thinks that I was under the impression you were leaving?" He groaned and put covered his face with his hands. "I'm messing this up. I'm messing this whole thing up." Dropping down to sit in one of the lawn chairs, Rick cradled his head. "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can." Grace insisted, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Through his fingers, he stared at her with sad eyes. "I can't even keep my own family together. How am I supposed to keep all of us together?"

"That can't just be on you. If you want to be the leader that's fine, whatever floats your boat, but you need to take care of yourself and your family as well. Otherwise you'll go crazy." As he listened to her speak, Rick was slowly dropping his hands and sitting up straighter. "Sometimes you need to be selfish, Rick. It can't just be about making everyone else happy because you'll _never_ make everyone else happy."

He was nodding now as she talked, looking up at her with such wide eager eyes that he looked a lot more like Carl than Grace wanted to admit. Rick had a young personality; always eager to please and wanting to see the best in every situation or person. In that respect, Shane had a lot more going for him in this world. Rick's naivety wouldn't get them far if they came up against a hostile group. The attitude of authority and stubbornness that had Shane pushing for first place worked well in tense situations while Rick's calm presence was reassuring in the down times. The group needed them both and it needed them working together. They further pulled apart by Lori they were, the more they became exaggerations of themselves instead of balancing each other.

"Do you get what I'm saying?" She offered finally and Rick nodded again quickly.

"Shane's always said I was too soft."

"Well he's a little hard, if you don't mind that wording. You should push a little harder and he needs to stop pushing so much. Try to find a balance."

He exhaled heavily. "Balance. I just need to find a balance. Easy as that. You couldn't be more right."

"She's always right." Daryl's grunt made both of them turn toward him. He had his crossbow slung over one shoulder and had a sort of half smile on his face. Anyone else would read it as a grimace but Grace could sense that Daryl was in a good mood. It was almost as if he was trying to be playful or teasing. "How come ya ain't figured that out when yer already hitched?" He cocked an eyebrow at the other man. "Woman's always right."

Rick narrowed his eyes a little and stood up. "Guess it's been awhile since I had to deal with them. Must be a bit rusty."

With a cocked eyebrow, Daryl turned toward Grace. "Merle's 'bout ready ta head out. Ya 'bout done here?"

"Nearly," she brought her fingers to rest on Daryl's wrist, attempting to calm the tension that had been accidently dragged up. Rick wasn't upset with Daryl, he was upset with himself and acting out. He really did have a lot more in common with his twelve year old son than Grace wanted to admit.

There was a moment of quiet before Rick regained his focus. "Sorry for keeping her so long. Sure you want to get on the road so you can get back again before dark.

Still unsure of what was going on, Daryl looked again to Grace for reassurance and she nodded. "Whatever," he finally offered. "Merle an' I was thinkin' we might jus' camp there fer the night."

"What?" This was news to Grace. As far as she knew they were going to be back that night. It was why she'd had no problems letting the others tag along. "You weren't saying that this morning."

"Ain't mornin' no more." He shrugged.

"I'd rather be back for the night if we can manage it." Grace insisted looking between the two men. "Everyone would be more comfortable that way I'm sure. We're leaving a lot of people here to worry about us if we don't make it back." Then in a mumble, she added at the end. "And I said Carol could come with."

"Was'at?" Daryl looked shocked.

"Carol wanted to meet the people that helped Sophia and me when we were out there on our own. I thought we'd be back tonight so I said it was alright for them to come along."

"Them? Thought ya said Carol."

"Her and Sophia…" Grace swallowed and looked at Daryl nervously, rushing to get the words out. "And we can't leave Claire here unsupervised if Carol's not here to look out for her."

Rolling his eyes. "Merle'd be pissed if we left the girl behind here with no one lookin' out fer her. Got half a mind ta make ya stay behind but we need ya ta help us find tha way. Way I see it though, now there's three extra bodies, huh? How's tha' supposed ta help our cause? Those folk see us comin' an' we're bringin' a whole pack with us."

Grace shook her head. "It can only help! They're family people Daryl. Who would you be more willing to let in: families with defenseless women and children or a couple of snarly rednecks?"

"Grace?" Now both of them were looking at her with a mixture of confusion and disgust. "I don't think it's such a good idea to manipulate them like that." Rick offered quietly.

"Seems pretty fucked up if ya ask me. We're goin' ta these people for help. Shouldn't be guiltin' 'em inta nothin'."

"UH!" She groaned. "I didn't mean it like that. It just came out wrong is all. Carol asked to come with because she wanted to meet the people who helped Sophia. I couldn't say she could come along but not to bring Sophia. And if Carol is bringing Sophia then we should bring Claire. Simple as that."

"Well now, we can look after the girls here," Rick offered. "There's plenty of people willing."

"Not a chance." Grace's voice was a little bit harder than it needed to be but she wanted to make her opinion clear on the matter. "If this place was still safe it might be an option but, with those walkers so close to camp, I need to know where she is for my own peace of mind. I'm not putting anyone else in charge of looking out for her when we need everyone we can spare on watch duty. The last thing you need is looking after a fussy teenager." She tried to smile but it even seemed forced to her. "You'll have to talk to Carol about Sophia. That's not my place to be making choices."

"Fat lotta chance you got tryin' ta pry tha' woman 'way from her little girl." Daryl snorted. "She's learnin' ta keep a tight leash on her. Ya'd have better luck tryin' ta get 'em both ta stay behind."

Rick shook his head in disbelief, "Looks like the whole lot of you are going then."

* * *

It was difficult giving directions when she'd only been to the other farm once but Hershel had marked it off on a map and most of their route was simply based on the written down instructions. Merle insisted on driving his bike in front of the truck the same way Daryl had led the convoy out of Atlanta. Grace was wedged in the middle of the seat between Daryl and Carol.

Carol was twisted just enough to give the illusion of being completely focused on the scenery. It was probably an attempt to give Daryl and Grace a bit of privacy in the small space but it was just not enough room for the action to have the attempted effect. The girls were right behind them, riding in the back of the truck with the mattress and luggage. Claire and Sophia seemed to be quite cozy back there.

Daryl, on the other hand, would probably never be comfortable having so many people so close to his personal space. He still had enough problems with Grace sharing space with him. They had never officially lived together before and it was a learning experience as much as everything about this new world was. Sure they'd both spent days at a time at the other's home and had exchanged keys, but it was still staying over, not staying forever.

They had come so far since then.

He loved her. She loved him back. Verbally that was. It didn't seem like her feelings had changed for him. It had probably been a long while coming just as he had said. There were just some things you let Daryl say first for fear of scaring him off. The L word was one of those. It was the same way that they'd been together for a lot longer than either of them had admitted. One of the few things Grace was grateful for about this world was that it forced action. Everyone seemed to be able to easier about opening up. Maybe it had something to do with the plain and simple fact that any of them could die at any moment.

The end of the world had done wonders for their relationship in some sick twisted way.

She must have made some small sound which caught Daryl's attention because he tipped his head to her with a murmur of acknowledgement. "Hey?" he questioned, eyes darting between her and Carol.

"I'm alright," she whispered back. "You?"

Daryl snorted and slid his hand down off the steering wheel to rest on her thigh, giving her a light pat. "How much further ya reckon?"

"Another fifteen minutes maybe. It's was a good drive from there to the highway and the highway's a decent distance when you take the roads too. We aren't moving as the crow flies; it's these stupid roads slowing us down."

"If we didn't have tha truck ya'd be whinin' 'bout there being blisters on yer feet." He chuckled and rubbed her knee giving it a firm pat at the last moment. Stretching his arm out he took her under it and pulled her into his side. Grace couldn't stop her grin, she'd lucked out that Daryl's injured side was against the door and she didn't have to feel any guilt about leaning into him. She rested her head against his shoulder and stared through the windshield, looking at the wings on the back of Merle's vest.

* * *

When they pulled into the driveway there was no one to run out to greet them. It wasn't as if the family was expecting visitors. There weren't exactly neighbourhood potlucks and people who sat on the front porch and smiled while you drove by. Every person who showed up was a possible threat and with Merle standing straddling his bike the way he was, they didn't exactly look non-threatening.

"Wait in the truck." Grace offered to Carol and then tapped on the window that separated them from the girls.

Claire crawled over to the window and pressed her face close to it before sliding it open. "What's going on?"

"You stay in the truck with Carol and Sophia until we get you, alright?"

"I thought you said these people were friendly? How come we're stuck in the truck?"

"'Cause she said so, tha's why." Daryl growled and popped his door. "Sit yer ass back down and wait in the truck."

The teenager huffed but sat back down beside Sophia. There wasn't much room for them but they'd managed to shift everything around to give themselves space to stretch their legs. Daryl gave Grace a bit of a smug look that said, got her to listen to me, and Grace gave him a light shove.

"Out before they start worry who's in their driveway."

Daryl slid out of the truck and Grace followed him. They both walked over to join Merle who was staring at the front porch. "Someone's watchin' us. See there? Curtain keeps movin'. Don't much like the looks uh me, I bet." The older Dixon pointed toward the left side of the house and Grace found herself searching the windows for some sign of people inside. Sure enough the curtain in what Grace thought was the living room was moving. It was the room used as an extra bedroom at night but during the day the bedding was tucked away so the space could be used by everyone. She couldn't tell who is was from just the curtain moving but it could have been almost anyone.

"I should probably go first. They at least know me." She offered, "Everyone probably heard the bike anyway. There's gotta be a way to quiet that thing down. We're going to attract walkers."

"Least I can out run 'em on the bike."

"Oh, tough man," Grace snorted sarcastically and took a step toward the stairs.

"Where're ya goin'!?" Daryl grabbed her arm. "We don't know if they're armed or what. Fer all ya know, they'll shoot ya 'fore ya even git ta tha door."

That made her roll her eyes. "Of course they're armed. Everyone is armed. That's how we live now." Daryl's shocked look at her snarky attitude, made her soften her voice. "I'll be fine. They know me. Sort of." Carefully she slid her wrist from Daryl's fingers and tried to put on a brave face for him. Turning toward the house she lifted her hands in a nonthreatening way and called out, "Hey, everyone! Grace here. Thought we'd stop in for a visit. I've got some people who want to meet you." There wasn't any movement from the house so she took another couple of steps closer. When there still wasn't any movement, she started to lower her hands, walking toward the front door with more determination.

Grace was just stepping up on to the bottom stair when the door flew open, nearly shocking her into stumbling over her own feet.

"Grace?" The rough voice came from inside. Gabe was standing in the shadows just inside the doorway, with the barrel of a shotgun pointing out at an awkward angle. The teenager didn't seem too sure about holding the weapon. Everything about him seemed anxious, from his unsteady grip to the way his blonde hair was plastered against his forehead.

"Yeah, Gabe." Apparently Matt had left his son to stand guard and was out doing something. From the looks of things it was probably the first time. "We just thought we'd come by for a visit. Is anyone else around?"

"They're out in the shed working on the truck again. Marco hit a deer yesterday."

"Mmm roadkill." Grace laughed. "Mind if we come in?"

"Um," Gabe shifted from one foot to the other. "I should check with Etta first. She didn't like the look of those two, that's why she sent me out with the gun."

That made sense; Grace should have known that bringing both Merle and Daryl along was a bad idea. There was nothing more intimidating than the Dixon brothers side by side glaring you down. "That's Daryl and his brother Merle. I mentioned Daryl to you guys when I was here." Behind her Merle snickered, not even bothering to cover up the sound.

"Your boyfriend?"

Grace winced at the term but was still pleased that Gabe had remembered at least that much. "Yeah," she nodded, "They came along to make sure we stayed safe. Sophia and her mom are in the truck with another girl from our group. Let Etta know, alright?"

Gabe swallowed and nodded, turning to go back into the house. He seemed to contemplate leaving the door open for a moment but finally closed it behind him. Grace heard the lock click into place as he did it, followed by the deadbolt.

"Smart kid," Merle muttered. "Chickenshit but smart. Actually might not get hisself killed."

"Don't pick on him," Grace scowled. "You're probably the most frightening thing he's seen."

"Wha'bout walkers?" the older Dixon challenged and Grace had to roll her eyes.

"Aside from walkers, asshole. I'm guessing he was pretty sheltered before all of this and you look like you'd eat him alive if you got hungry enough."

That got a chuckle from Merle but it was Daryl who made the next retort, "Nah, kid's too skinny." He cocked an eyebrow at Grace and smirked. "Even walkers wouldn't go after 'im."

"You terrible," she shoved him. Behind him, Grace caught sight of Carol peering out the window of the truck and Grace waved to signal it was alright for her and the girls to come out.

Daryl looked at her curiously. "Sure ya want 'em out 'fore we even seen people?"

"They're fine really. Gabe's just being overly cautious. Etta won't let them shoot us... well maybe Merle but only if he can't watch his mouth around her." Before they left she'd already reminded him that his racist comments would probably get their asses kicked right to the curb. Merle seemed to be smart enough to just agree to keep his bigotry to himself. It could have just been because he wanted to get the hell of Hershel's farm with those walkers so close and not being able to do a thing about them. He was furious with the whole situation and almost left directly after the barn was discovered. Between Daryl and Grace, he had been convinced to stay but it wasn't an easy argument to have.

Merle gave a displeased grunt, his smile slipping and crossed his arms. Grace just shrugged it off and went to open the tailgate to let the girls out.

Claire and Sophia were both eager to see who was in the house. On the way over Sophia had chattered almost nonstop about the other family. As she got out of the truck, she looked at the house and yard, searching for her playmates.

"Where's everyone?" She turned, addressing both her mom and Grace.

"Probably inside," Grace offered. "We'll see what Etta says when she comes out."

Carol put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and pulled her in. "We just need to wait, Sophia. They're right to be cautious about so many strangers."

"Grace and I aren't strangers!" The girl insisted, pouting a little but she stood obediently close to her mom and settled down a little.

They didn't have to wait long because soon the telltale sound of the door locks clicking again echoed from the porch. Little Etta pulled the door open and frowned down her front steps at the group. "Just what exactly are you all doing standing down there?" She laughed and shook her head. "Get up here and inside so you can introduce everyone." Opening her arms the old woman gestured widely for them to come inside.

Everyone in her small group looked at Grace but she just smiled, "We figured with you arming the kids it would be easier to keep us all outside. Wouldn't want anyone getting startled and causing an accident." She walked up the steps, flanked on either side by one of the Dixons and lead them toward the old woman.

"In, in!" Etta hurried them along, her scowl turning into a large smile as she stepped aside so they could enter the house. "This isn't everyone is it?"

"We left the rest at Hershel Greene's farm." Grace nodded. There's quite a few more."

"Good, good! Always room for more. You should all come to visit, the whole group."

"We'll all visit soon." Grace agreed. "We're here on a little bit of a mission today."

The old woman frowned and shook her head, "Pish-posh, you need a good visit. Everyone into the living room. The children are playing in there. Come and sit down!"

Daryl shot Grace a distressed look but Grace just shrugged it off. She just hoped that he and Merle would be on their best behaviour so they had at least a chance on convincing Etta and the group to let them stay.

Alicia must have spotted Sophia through the window because she bolted past Gabe's arm to get to the other girl. The two squealed and hugged each other, Alicia taking her friend by the arm and pulling her into the living room where the other children were waiting. Gabe was standing in the doorway, his gun now leaning beside one of the armchairs. He looked a little bit more relaxed now that he wasn't holding the weapon but he still kept eyeing the brothers nervously.

Sophia and the children were playing quietly on one end of the room, but Etta shooed them down to the other where there were three well worn couches, two lazy-boys and Etta's rocking chair. Merle grabbed one of the lazy-boys, while Carol and Claire sat down on one of the couches. Daryl looked at Grace and she pointed out one of the other couches. He sat lightly, as if worried that he would ruin the couch and Grace settled herself beside him. "Still got our boots on," he whispered.

"This room gets a lot of traffic. Just don't wear them anywhere else in the house." Grace responded.

"Gabe," The elderly woman called to the boy and he gave a bit of a jump. He'd been focusing rather hard on Merle. "Run outside and get the boys from the shed."

"And Char?"

"Everyone." Etta nodded. "We've got visitors. Stop at the garden and get the hens too."

"Chickens?" Daryl whispered again.

"She means the women. They're probably out weeding or something." Daryl nodded slightly but still seemed confused. He was even more worried when Etta turned straight to him and pounced.

"You're Grace's young man, correct?"

"Huh?" He grunted in response.

Luckily Merle picked up the slack. "Ol' man's more like it. Ya'll have ta excuse my brother. He was dropped one to man times as a kid."

"Shut it, Merle." Daryl grimaced with embarrassment.

Grace fought to keep her hands to herself and not reach out to sooth him. He was tense enough without worrying about what people thought about them touching. "This is Daryl Dixon." Grace offered instead, "And the rude beast over there in Merle Dixon, his brother."

"Sophia's mother?" Etta questioned Carol.

Carol nodded, "Carol Peletier, pleased to meet you."

"Is this your other daughter?" She asked, indicating Claire and both shook their heads.

Grace searched for the words to explain Claire but settled for the least revealing while still being honest. "This is Claire Brewster. She's from the same town as myself and the boys here. She's been travelling with us."

"So young," Etta smiled sadly, whispering to herself, "Families torn apart..." The slam of the back door interrupted her thought and she jumped focus, "That will be the others."

The rest of the group piled in like school children coming in for recess, all both a little eager and nervous to see these new people. Around the circle they went, each person in turn giving a small gesture when their name was mentioned or offering a hand if they were close enough to shake hands. Etta led the introductions, pointing everyone out in turn. When she was satisfied enough with the introductions she clapped her hands. "Perhaps one of the men would be able to fix the truck we've been having trouble with?"

"It's fine, Ma." Eli protested.

"Don't be foolish, it looks just the same as that one they brought with them. We'll have it fixed up in no time."

"Actually," Grace had to interrupt. "Can we talk to you first, Etta?"

The woman narrowed her eyes with concern. "Yes, that would be fine. Without the children, right?"

"Yeah, I think that would be best. Is there some place...?"

"Gabe can take them to the porch." Etta offered immediately.

Matt nodded at his son, "Back inside if you see anything. Don't second guess."

The teen looked nervous but nodded. "Sure thing. Come on guys." He started herding the children outside.

"Do you want me to help?" Claire offered, quietly. She hadn't spoken since getting out of the truck, her timid reaction to strangers returning with vengeance.

Grace looked at her, checking for signs that Claire was just volunteering because she felt obligated. "If you want," Grace offered. "You can stay though."

"I'd rather go outside." The girl insisted and Grace gave her a small smile, "Alright."

"Keep an eye on Sophia, please." Carol requested timidly.

Claire shook her head in agreement, "I will, Carol. I promise."

Carol cast a nervous look at her daughter and tucked her hands under her armpits as if trying to stop herself from reaching out. "Thank you," she whispered.

The teenagers herded the children out of the living room, the mass of them tumbling over each other in an attempt to get outside as quickly as possible. When the children had left the room the remaining adults settled into chairs, waiting to hear why Grace, Daryl, Merle and Carol had travelled to see them.

Matt was the one who broke the ice, clearing his throat and addressing Grace. "I'm sure we're all wondering, but just what is it that you're here for. Not that we don't appreciate a social call but it seems to be more serious than that."

Merle snorted from his lazy-boy. "Tha's one way ta put it. We got a bit of a walker problem."

"We have a proposition of sorts." Grace interrupted before Merle could take it any further. The last thing they needed was to get into what was happening with Hershel's farm and the barn full of walkers. She was quite clear that this group didn't feel the same way he did and was quite alright with killing walkers on sight. There were no delusions about them just being sick people. "We were wondering if we could stay here for a while. I know it was offered but I want to make sure you're well aware of what you're getting into before you say yes."

"I already said that you could come and stay with us." Etta frowned with confusion. "I'm not about to take that back."

"No, no! I'm not saying you are. But you've only met Sophia and me. We wanted to give you another chance to change your mind if you needed to." Taking a deep breath, Grace gathered up her courage. "Because we're not just asking for a temporary place to stay. We're looking for a long term place and we think we may have one."

Nervous chattering broke out among the other group but Eli's voice clearly rang out above them all. "I've already said there were too many people here. We're overcrowded. We attract too much attention coming and going for supplies. One of these days it's going to bring down a herd."

"He's right, Mom." Charlene nodded. "As it is we're risking keeping the people we do have here."

"Hush!" The woman scolded her children. "I raised you better. They need help we give it. It'll be a little tight but we'll make it work."

"It's not forever," Grace added, pushing her voice into the conversation again. "We've got a plan, just like I said, but it'll take co-operation."

"Go on, Grace." Matt nodded. His voice was low, as if he wasn't expecting whatever came next to actually be good news.

She swallowed hard, now everyone was looking at her. Beside her, Daryl shifted, pressing his thigh into hers reassuringly. His eyes darted between her and the people expecting her to speak and he opened his mouth. "There's a gated community 'round here, see. We was figurin' big wall, lo's uh houses – might make for a good place fer a whole lotta people ta stay." Grace looked at her shocked. Daryl never made the first move when it came to sharing information. It wasn't his MO. Typically he held his opinions and his information close until he knew just who he was dealing with. The self-sacrificing bastard was putting himself in between Grace and the possible critisizm, directing the attention away from her.

"You're talking about Wiltshire, right? It's full of grunch." Sure enough the statement was directed Daryl and not her.

"Once tha' gate gits closed though, numbers ain't exactly goin' up. Jus' a matter uh cleaning 'em out."

"And you want us to help." Eli scoffed.

"Said it yerself." Merle grunted, coming to his brother's defence. "Ya got too many people here. Ya need more space. We need help clearin' it. Figure it could work fer us all."

There was quieter whispering now. The voices in the room hushed as they talked amongst themselves. No one said anything out loud though. There wasn't even eye contact anymore. Just a lot of nervous shifting and whispering.

"It's a lot to consider," Carol spoke up for the first time since introducing herself. "Everywhere we've stayed so far hasn't been perfect. We haven't managed to find somewhere that would actually keep us safe." She blinked slowly once, her voice trembling. "I nearly lost my daughter because nowhere is safe anymore. A wall around all our houses could fix that. You have children here. Why are they on the porch instead of playing in the yard?" There were a few coughs and cleared throats. "I don't want to live like this anymore. I want to be safe. I need to know that I wouldn't have to worry every time I allowed Sophia out of my sight."

"You say that like you know Wiltshire is going to work out." Megan blurted, mom against mom. "I've got babies too and I've already lost my husband. We're safe here. This is our home and you're expecting us to leave it."

"Ya don't need ta come if ya don't wanna." Merle snapped.

"So we do all the work and then you live there?" Megan retorted. "What are we getting out of it if we don't move in there?"

The older Dixon had a response for that already. "We can clear it on our own jus' fine. Jus' gonna take longer. We jus' need a place 'til i's ready. We help bring in supplies an' protect this place 'til we move on. If ya come wit', fine. If ya don't that ain't our problem."

Megan nodded and turned to her oldest sister-in-law, the two women shooting each other looks. Quietly they talked together while the rest of the group offered up questions. How many of them expected to stay? For how long? How would they all fit in the house? How would chores be divided? How would supplies be divided if the group split up? The talk seemed to drag on, with everyone contributing different problems and solutions. There didn't seem to be any sort of agreement other than they could try.

That was what both sides kept bringing up: that it wouldn't hurt to try; that they wanted to see how things would work out when they really started bringing everyone together. It was Marco that tried to joke that he wanted to see what their chemistry was like before he made any commitments.

But they could try.

* * *

In the end they did end up staying for dinner. As tough as everyone pretended to be, there weren't any really hardasses in this group. There was no one to say, "no we shouldn't share our supplies." This was what Grace had really focused on when she thought about the group possibly splitting up and heading in separate directions: the new friends that they would be getting, the sense of real family.

Merle and Daryl had actually agreed to go out and look at the truck and though Grace wasn't sure what had gone on between the men, there seemed to be a sense of ease when they returned. Everyone was comfortable here, at ease with the choice to merge together and see where things would go.

Though she kept waiting for him to slip up, Merle behaved himself and didn't make a single crude comment or off colour joke. He'd even been polite enough to accept a beer out on the porch when Marco had offered him one in exchange for a cigarette. He then offered his precious last few cigarettes to anyone else who wanted one. Christian had been the only other taker.

Daryl stayed inside and sat in a chair in the corner watching as the mess from dinner was tidied up. He kept looking between the people, the clock and the window. Whenever he caught Grace's eye he scowl and shake his head at the timepiece on the wall. It was getting later and she knew it but the thought of going back to the farm and Hershel's barn of horrors was too much to bear. Carol must have sensed everyone's tension because she gathered Sophia and Claire together and brought the girls to the living room.

"We're ready to go," She smiled at Grace. "If we don't leave soon it'll be dark before we get back and the headlights will be a problem."

Daryl stood quickly, "Bes' git Merle." He shuffled toward the door intent on getting his brother so they could pile back into the truck and leave.

"He's quiet." Megan had snuck up behind her and nearly gave Grace a heart attack.

"What?"

"Daryl, he's quiet. Seems like he knows what he's doing out here, though. More than most anyway, which is an advantage. You're lucky to have him and his brother watching out for you. He's not bad on the eyes either."

"Thanks," Grace smiled, the extra jump in her heart slowing back down. "I'd like to keep them around for a while. Dixon's are good in tough situations."

"It seems like it." Megan leaned against the doorway between the dining room and the living room. "Do you really think they can clear out Wiltshire Estates?"

"If they set their minds to it. They've got pretty good motivation right now though. It'll be tough but they want to so it'll get done one way or another."

"And how does the rest of your group feel?"

"We're getting there. We don't always agree though. You're lucky you've got a lot of your family with you, so you all knew each other before. Most of us are perfect strangers."

"It's Jamie's family mostly. I'm just glad they kept me around. It's tough not know if my own family isn't out there somewhere. It'll be nice to have some new faces. We need fresh blood. It tiring seeing the same people every day and if we really do manage to clear out Wiltshire then we'll have some room to stretch out into."

"I'm sure you're looking forward to not sharing space so much."

Megan laughed, "I just want my bed back. I've got the girls in with me and half the time by morning one of the boys is in there with me too. Carol is right. I just want to know they're safe and to have a place where they can feel comfortable playing out on the front lawn or in the backyard. We'll help. Whatever this takes, we'll help."

"Grace!" Claire stuck her head in the front door. "You ready to go? Merle's turning the bike around and he wants to go."

"Should he be driving if he's been drinking?" Megan worried.

"Oh he'll be fine. He's driven in worse condition than one beer." Grace gave her a reassuring smile. "I'd better get going though." She offered her arms out for a hug and Megan accepted good naturedly.

"When should we expect you then?"

"Two, three days tops to get everything squared up with Hershel and the rest of the group. We're not running on a deadline really, are we?"

"Nah," Megan gave her a final pat and stepped back. We've got all the time in the world."

* * *

Daryl let Grace into the driver's side as Carol was already riding shotgun. As Grace got settled, he walked around back and shut the tailgate behind Claire, sealing her and Sophia into the back of the truck. Grace turned around and slid open the window behind her head so they could at least hear the girls as they drove.

Most of the family was watching from windows or the front porch as the left. It made Grace nervous to see all the children inside. They needed to get that subdivision cleared out as soon as possible. Everyone here seemed to be worried about herds of walkers. That would probably be motivation enough for them to leave the house behind, especially as winter approached and they would need to be using fires to keep warm. It was possible that low hanging winter smoke would attract them just as much as any other strong smell and that was if they were lucky enough to be inside before they needed to have big fires for warmth.

Sliding into the seat beside her, Daryl pulled the door shut. "Don' think so hard." He muttered, bumping her purposely with his elbow. "We got a plan now, an' a place. We're good."

They pulled out of the driveway heading back to Hershel's farm with Merle leading them once again. Already the sun was slowly starting to dip down towards the trees. Grace sighed and rested her head against Daryl's shoulder. She was so tired of worrying about everything. It was a reassuring thought to think there might actually be some hope for peace in the future.

Sliding one hand off the steering wheel, Daryl brought his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in tight. "We're gonna be alright, Grace." He mumbled, turning his face quickly into her hair, too fast for Carol to catch.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

When they returned to Hershel's farm, T-Dog and Andrea were waiting at the edge of the driveway to meet them. Dale was sitting on top of the RV, probably assigned to watch duty. Lori and Carl were sitting at one of the picnic tables near the tents and Shane sat a short distance away from them. Rick and Glenn were nowhere to be seen. As soon as the truck stopped, Andrea, looking for information, raced to the driver's side door where Grace would be getting out after Daryl. Grace met her nervous stare with a smile. She'd never liked the idea of living in a gated community but now that the threat was so much more physical than social stigma and segregation of the classes, she was glad for the opportunity to live behind walls. "They said we can stay with them and when we're all settled in, we can start talking about clearing out Wiltshire." She got out breathlessly as she slid out of the truck behind Daryl. Her feet were barely on the ground before Andrea grabbed her in a hug.

"When do we leave?" The blonde grinned back, "I'm sick of waiting for those things to get us."

"Whoa," Grace shook her head. "This isn't a decision. It's just another option. We could still leave the area completely. We could stay here and clear out the barn..."

"Fat chance." Andrea snorted.

T-Dog nodded with her, "Hershel's stuck on keeping them. Rick was up there all afternoon. There's no changing the old man's mind."

"Still, going to stay with another group isn't going to be easy. Cram nearly thirty people into one house and there's going to be problems."

"How did they seem to you, Carol?" Andrea called to the back of the truck where Carol was helping her daughter out.

"I liked them well enough." Carol responded with a smile. "They seem like kind, hard-working people who are just trying to survive like we are."

Sophia hopped out of the back of the truck, "They've got lots of kids there too!"

Andrea gave Grace a pointed look that said, '_See, I told you that this was a good idea.'_

"Just because they're nice doesn't mean we're not going to have problems though. The Greene's are good people too and look at the trouble we're running into here."

T-Dog snorted, "If the old man wasn't nuts, we coulda had it good here."

"Exactly!" Grace pointed at T-Dog with determination. "I think our best bet will be in getting our own place as soon as possible. If we can find people that are willing to work with us, all the better but in the meantime going to stay with the Halverson's is just a temporary solution. Once we're settled we can start thinking about the long term but for now we just need to be able to sleep at night."

"I want a real bed." Andrea nodded in agreement. "It would be nice to get into houses again."

"Says the woman who gets to sleep in the RV." T-Dog scoffed and threw up his hands. "You wanna complain. Spend a few nights on the ground with the rest of us. Used to think that Daryl and Grace were stupid for hauling that mattress around with 'em but damn, I'd give my arm to have my Serta back."

"Don't say that too quickly." The blonde pointed to his still bandaged arm and laughed.

"Aw, screw off."

"Is Rick still in the house with Hershel?"

"Nah, he's taking a turn at guarding the barn. Last time I seen her, Lori still seemed pissed so Carl's probably out there with him. If you wanted to talk to Rick, I'm sure you could get on Lori's good side by sending Carl to see Sophia."

"Thanks," Grace gave T-Dog a smile. "I can check your arm before you go to bed if you don't want to go in and see Hershel. We might be able to start leaving the bandages off if you're just hanging around."

"Ya think?"

"If you don't plan on messing it up, yah, I don't see why not. I'll come find you after I've talked to Rick." She gave him a parting nod before turning towards where Daryl was standing with his brother next to the bike. They were arguing quietly so she couldn't hear what they were saying until she got closer.

"Gotta give 'em more time though."

"They've had their time. We got our shit and we gotta leave 'fore Doc up there git's it in his head to take 'is pets fer a walk. I ain't gittin' bit 'cause they ain't got their shit packed. They can meet us there."

"We go as a group." Daryl argued back. "Grace won't let us leave wit'out e'eryone."

"It's not our choice to make for them." Grace spoke quietly so as not to startle to two men but Daryl still gave a jump.

"See, Gracie gits it," Merle smirked at his brother. "I wanna git outta here first light tomorrow. They come wit, it's all good. If not then fuck 'em. Not our problem."

"We can give them a chance still though, Merle. Let the idea settle in." She added with a bit too much venom. "We'll be alright until tomorrow afternoon and then we can leave with whoever wants to come with us." Now it was Daryl's turn to give his brother a smug look.

"Tol' ya we was waitin'."

"Fine." Merle reluctantly agreed. "Not waitin' 'round fer stragglers though. Firs' thing af'er lunch we're outta here!"

"Agreed." Nervously Grace cast a glance in the direction of the barn. "The barn of horrors freaks me out." She gave a theatrical shiver. "I've gotta go see Rick and he's on guard duty over there. Mind coming with, Dary?."

"Sure thing," He gave a serious nod. "Don't want ya nowhere near tha' place on yer own. Ain't no need."

"Wha're ya goin' ta see, Friendly for?" Merle wanted to know.

"To talk with him about moving and what arrangements are going to be like when we get there. He doesn't have any idea of how these people are set–up and if he wants to keep acting as leader of this group then he's going to need that information."

"Mehbe, he should start thinkin' 'bout givin' up that power. Wouldn't be no big deal for someone else to take up stuff. Not like he's doing much of a job."

Grace rolled her eyes, "He's got a lot on his plate, Merle. His family is falling apart at the seams because they've been operating under the impression that he was dead for more than a month. You try coming back from that and not be a bit distracted. Don't be so harsh on him. He's doing a hell of a lot better job than you could do. Attitude away until you're willing to take on all the pressures that come with this mess of people."

The older Dixon just grumbled and turned his back on her with a flip of his finger as he left.

"Don' let 'im bother ya, Grace." Daryl immediately jumped into comforting mode, which made Grace's stomach flutter a bit. Had he been this willing to comfort her after Merle before the end of the world she would have welcomed the attention. Now she didn't need it though. Merle didn't get to her the same way he had. There were much bigger problems to worry about than fighting with Merle, not to mention most of the bit had left his actions. He was simply operating in the only was he still knew how but it was just going through the motions. He didn't mean it the same way he had before.

"I'm fine," she gave Daryl an honest smile. "He doesn't get to me anymore. Compared to everything else that's out there, he's harmless."

"Merle ain't harmless." Daryl chuckled.

Grace just shrugged, "Seems like it to me. Unless your brother's developing a taste for human flesh, I think we can handle him."

"Whatever. Le's go see the officer an' get shit straightened out so we can get some sleep tonight before I take watch."

"You're taking watch?"

"Yeah," he dropped his head and looked at her nervously through his lashes. "Tired uh not pullin' my weight 'round here. I'm useless jus' sittin' on my ass all day."

She didn't want to start a fight over this and she knew just how much the bed rest had knocked Daryl in the ego. He wasn't used to playing the victim or letting himself take time off to heal. Everything he'd ever been taught told him to get back out there and keep going, press through the pain and just ignore the symptoms until they go away on their own. Stopping to heal was admitting defeat. It was a sign of weakness and Dixons couldn't show weakness. "Fine, but I'm coming with you then."

"No ya ain't." He looked up sharply. "Ya'll stay in tha truck and sleep."

"Nope, if you can sit watch then I can too. I'm not going to stay in the truck all alone while you're out there sitting next to a barn full of walkers. You don't want me there by myself and I don't want _you_ there by _yourself_. It's only fair. I won't be able to sleep the whole time you're gone."

"Ya'll be safe. Merle's sleepin' in tha front. Nothin' ta worry 'bout."

"I'll be worrying about you, though. I know I'll be fine."

"Thought ya said that barn looked solid?"

"Of course it looks solid, Dare." Grace felt her stomach drop. There was no one around, they had all gone back to the camp to relay the information to those that were there. _Suck it up and just explain it to him, you little whiner. You're as bad as he is sometimes. _"I need to know you're safe. If I don't, I'll be up until you get back. I'm going to lay in that truck and worry about boards breaking or chains coming lose. I want to be there with you so I can at least see that you're okay."

"Nuh-uh," Daryl shook his head forcefully. "Yer a distraction."

"I'll be good I promise." She teased, trying to keep the situation light. Already she was feeling far too clingy for her own comfort . The conversation was bordering on dangerously sappy.

"Ain't worried 'bout ya." He had pulled back completely and was shoving his boot into the dirt, nervously not meeting her eyes. "S'my problem."

Grace froze up, face scrunching up in confusion. "I don't..."

"If yer gonna be there I ain't gonna be watchin' the barn. Gonna spend all muh time starin' at ya an' makin' sure yer okay. It... it won't be keepin' watch. It'll be watchin' ya." He peeked up through his lashes, clearly ashamed by his confession and added in a whisper. "Don' make me pick."

"Daryl," Grace choked out trying ta stop him before he went too far and made himself uncomfortable.

"Gonna worry if yer in the truck wit' Merle but least I know he's gonna keep ya safe while I'm gone." Completely engrossed in his own terrifying thoughts, Daryl rambled on, missing Grace's words completely. "Gonna get ta come back an' crawl in next ta ya an' ya'll be fine. No worries. No problems. E'en if yer still awake least ya'll be alright. I take ya wit' me and I'm jus' gonna worry 'bout messin' up an gettin' ya bit. Please," he pleaded. "Jus' do as yer tol' this time. Jus' once. Jus' this once."

"Okay," She had to agree. There was no way around it when she could clearly see how much the thought of her being near the barn would distress Daryl.

"'Kay," he repeated back, exhaling. "'Kay." After getting so worked up, his breathing was heavy, making him sound out of breath. Grace stepped forward but Daryl sidestepped out of her reach. "Not now 'kay. Jus' leave me 'lone. Go talk ta, Rick. I'm gonna get the truck parked and meet ya."

"You're sure?" But that had been the problem in the first place, Daryl not wanting Grace alone at the barn.

"Won't take long." Daryl promised. "Rick'll look af'er ya 'til then. He ain't..." Daryl gave himself a full body shake to get the pained expression off of his face. The rest of sentence was understood but unspoken. _He's not weak like I am. You don't make __**him**__ weak._ The insecurity was back then; after all the progress they had made, Daryl's insecurity was rearing its ugly head again. Feeling was weakness and though he admitted that he had them, it took a lot hard-earned confidence with it.

A voice in the back of her head made Grace want to confront him, to push him further until she made him realize he wasn't weak because he loved her. She knew though that he wasn't in the right place to accept it. That it would only keep eating away at him and he would be silent in his fears the next time a similar problem came up. The fact that he had confessed to her at all was a huge step forward. Getting him to accept his emotions as anything other than negative after he'd spent his whole life fighting them, that would be another battle. Still she wanted to tell him she loved him. The thrill of him possibly saying it back sent her stomach into flutters. Maybe she could...

"See you in a bit," she heard herself saying, starting to walk away from Daryl before the butterflies in her stomach started making choices for her. It wasn't the right time at all to satisfy her ego. Maybe if she loved a different man, but she loved Daryl and you couldn't force him to do anything he wasn't ready for yet.

"Hey!" he called as she turned her back to him and Grace spun around quickly, hoping that maybe she was wrong.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure to send the kid back to his mom. He_ is_ a distraction fer Rick though." Daryl tried a tight lipped smile to add to his attempted joke but it failed miserably. It was pretty easy to see that he was trying too hard to fake a lack discomfort from his careless confession.

"I will," Grace forced a smile and grinned as brightly as she could. "See you in a bit."

* * *

Carl and Rick were sitting side by side in lawn chairs next to the barn, the setting sun casting shadows over the two figures, obscuring them just enough that Grace couldn't see their features as she approached them. The closer she got, the easier they were to make out. Rick had given Carl his sheriff's hat and it obscured the boy's face. Without his hat, Rick was exposed and as his face came into focus, Grace could see the exhaustion on it, the lines that had only deepened since she met him, the sunburn and wind chap and strain.

She'd seen pictures from before, Lori kept a huge photo album with her and sometimes Grace would find her alone and flipping through the pages, remembering a better time. Rick's cheeks were hollower than they had been; a combination of so long in a coma and starving out on the road. His memory was shaky from when he first woke-up so he didn't really know what day he had actually stumbled out of the hospital on. He'd slept a lot in the beginning, luckily taken in by that father and son he sometimes mentioned. They didn't know if he'd slept enough to lose entire days but Grace had heard of it happening before.

Too little rest, too little food, too much fear. It wore on him and as Grace stepped into view, she could see how his smile came nowhere near to his eyes. It barely settled over his cheekbones, the skin seeming too tight and brittle to do anything more than quiver.

"How'd it go?" There was no need for pleasantries. Rick cut straight to the point of Grace visiting him. Though he'd turned his head when she first arrived to acknowledge her, he was back to staring at the barn.

"Good, it was good. They're good people, Rick."

"That's a lot of good."

"Are we leaving, Dad?" Carl tipped his head up to peek out from under the wide-brimmed hat at his father.

Stalling, Grace turned to the boy, "You're curious, huh? Want to know what those people are like?"

"They have kids. I mean, some of them are little but Sophia said they got kids our age too." Carl pushed the idea. He seemed more subdued than he had been before his wounds and surgery but he was still Carl and still spoke his mind. "I wouldn't mind staying if they've got kids."

"Why don't you go check in with Sophia then? I'm sure she'll tell you all about it." Grace tried once again to give an honest smile but Carl scowled and narrowed his eyes. He knew exactly what she was doing by trying to get rid of him.

"Alright," he sighed and got unsteadily to his feet.

"She's over at the RV." Relieved that the boy was going to keep his mouth shut and not point out just how obvious she was being, Grace managed a bit of a more confident smile.

Carl tightened his lips to return the parting and began to walk back across the field. Before he could get to far his father stopped him, "Carl."

The boy turned, eyes nervous in the shadows that shaded them.

"The gun stays here."

Grace found her stare darting between the two of them as the Grimes men had a short and silent argument through serious glares. Finally Carl reluctantly lifted his shirt and took two slow steps to his father, holding out a handgun by the muzzle so his father could take the grip.

"Thank you." Rick nodded at his son. "Do not tell your mother I let you have that while you were here."

Carl gave a small laugh, "I'm not stupid. I didn't get shot in the head."

"Coulda hit your head when you fell though." Rick pointed out lightheartedly and Carl grinned.

"Nah. Shane says I've got too much of a thick skull to do any damage anyway."

"Does he now?" Rick lifted an eyebrow and the boy nodded. "How's about you don't take medical advice from Shane. He pretty much had a membership in the ER, amount of times he broke himself." He reached up and patted Carl's arm. "Go see Sophia and see if you can't find out more about the kids."

Giving an eager bob of his head, Carl took off once again, darting across the field as quickly as he could probably manage without being in pain.

"What did they say?" Rick cut straight to the chase as his son's form faded to a silhouette in the rapidly dimming light.

"We can stay with them."

"And they're alright with us all...?"

"Seems like it. Etta wants to save everyone. Shouldn't be too hard convincing the rest of them that it's alright when she's so gung-ho for us to be there. What did Hershel say?"

Rick sighed, his hands finding his face and scrubbing hard. "It's complicated."

"Are you dating him?" Grace sarcastically retorted and Rick sent a glare her way.

"No, it's just," another exhausted sigh, "He's convinced that his family and neighbours are still alive in there. That these are people we need to help. If it weren't for Carl and Lori..." Rick trailed off there but Grace understood. He wanted to protect his family from this crazy world but there was little he could do when they were worried about Carl's health.

"He's looking better," Grace offered. "Much better, in fact. It shouldn't be long until we won't have to depend on Hershel's surgical skills. A few days at most."

"And what happens in the meantime? Hershel wants all of us gone now. I think if it weren't for Carl being in as rough shape as he was, Hershel would have kicked us out the moment we set foot on the property. We wouldn't have had a chance to get comfortable."

Shaking her head, Grace responded quickly, "Sophia and I never could have found you then. How long could you have stayed at that pile-up? We lucked out. It just sucks that we have to separate again." She paused, thinking over the situation and trying to come up with the best answer that she could give Rick to reassure him. "A week should be enough for Carl to leave. At that point we won't have to worry about any sudden side effects. If they were going to happen, they would have shown up by that point. After that I'll take over, I can do recovery no problem."

"And Lori?" Finally Rick revealed what was causing the majority of distress. "I just can't deal with her _and _Shane right now. I see... I see the way he looks at her. I didn't realize it right away but I know now. I thought he was just being protective because of me. He was... is... like a brother to me. They were his family too. But he wants them."

"I know," Grace whispered, nodding her head in agreement. "You need to decide if you want to make you and Lori work. That's what comes first. Then you can figure out what to do about Shane."

"It's not that simple. He's all tangled up in this too. I feel like it's not just Lori and me anymore. Now the relationship is all three of us and I can't just pick and choose pieces. If he really is..." Rick sighed again and turned back to the barn, fingers wrapped tightly around the gun in his lap.

_If Shane really was the father. _Grace knew that was exactly what Rick couldn't bring himself to say. It was a safe bet that it was true though. All signs pointed to Rick not being the dad and Lori seemed to make it clear that there couldn't be any other option. That made sense. There was no indication that Lori was cheating, just seeking comfort and protection when she felt so alone. Had Rick not come along, maybe she and Shane would have actually worked out. Already he tried to fill the role of father for Carl. When he found out about the pregnancy he was going to fight and he was going to fight hard.

"You and Lori need to talk." Grace started slowly, attempting to find the right words. "Set boundaries and decide what you want to happen. If you don't want Shane in your relationship, then you need to make that clear to him. Don't give him any options you aren't willing to follow up on. It's not going to be easy."

Rick laughed sadly, "What is easy anymore?"

"Giving up?" Grace offered, in response.

"True." The man turned back to her. "You think that you'll be able to manage Carl in a week?"

"For sure. Maybe a little sooner but Hershel should want you out of his hair by that point so he'll make it clear when he thinks you can leave. Take that time to figure everything out." It hurt telling Rick to split his family off from the group, even for such a short time. It was so difficult without knowing what could happen in a week. Rick had only been back for two weeks and so much had changed in that short time. It was impossible to predict what the future would bring them.

"We'll be able to start clearing out those houses then..." Rick lost himself in thought. "One week." He repeated before falling silent again. Grace looked up, the moon was clear in the sunset, its ghost almost full even though it was nowhere near dark enough for the moon to be up yet. "Why'd you help Lori?" Rick wondered allowed, shocking Grace.

"What?"

"After everything that happened with you... I didn't think that you'd... why were you going to help her get rid of it. It's the only thing I can't figure out. Why?"

Now it's was Grace's turn to let out a sigh. She dropped into Carl's empty chair and wrapped her arms around her middle, subconsciously protecting herself. "Because she didn't want this trouble. Not for either of you. She knew what it would do to you. I just gave her her options. It'll be hard enough bringing a child into this world without resenting it so I just made sure she knew that I'd help her either way. She's the one who told me she wanted to. I stopped her thought when I realized that she couldn't commit. I didn't want her to regret anything. It wasn't about me."

"Even with..."

"The miscarriage? Rick, it's a different situation entirely and it's not my choice. If Lori wants to carry this pregnancy to term then she had to make up her mind. She's conflicted but underneath it all, she's choosing to have this baby. She's not choosing him, if that's what you're worried about."

Rick looked away ashamed. Obviously that had been exactly what he was thinking.

"There's plenty of time, you know. For you to work this all out. It doesn't have to happen today."

The fingers on the gun he had taken from Carl tightened and loosened as Rick struggled. "Time. That's all we've got left. No home. No food. No hope. But we've got time."

"Would you hate me if I said, 'it gets better.'"

Rick laughed bitterly at that, "I think I'd only hate you if you honestly believed that. Look at us. How does this get better?"

"How can it get worse?" Grace countered.

"Hey," Daryl's voice broke through their pity party and Rick sat up a little straighter in his chair.

"Hello Daryl. Grace was just telling me about the people we're planning on staying with. How did they seem to you?"

Daryl's face contracted in confusion and he turned to Grace. Subtly she shook her head. "They're a'right." Worriedly, he shoved the tip of his thumb between his teeth and chewed.

"Do you think the groups will be able to come together? We need allies in this world, especially if we're inviting them to join us in that subdivision."

"Guess so." Daryl was completely uncomfortable with Rick's questions. The longer Rick looked at him, the more he crumbled in on himself.

"It'll be interesting to see how we manage to come together. Anyway, I'm sure you two have stuff to do. Shane'll be here soon to switch off on watch. I'll see you back at the tents."

"Yeah," Daryl licked his lips.

Grace stood and reached out, resting her hand on Daryl's arm lightly to turn him toward the camp. "Come on," she guided. "I want to help Carol pack up and Dale needs help looking over the RV. I want everything to go as smoothly as possible tomorrow. See ya, Rick."

Rick gave a wave and settled back in his chair as they turned to walk off. They made it a good distance before Daryl spoke up, "Why'd Rick jus' lie?"

"What?"

"Rick was lyin'. Ya wasn't talkin' 'bout leavin' tha farm. Doesn't take a moron ta see that."

"Daryl..."

"Don't tell me he weren't," he scoffed bitterly. "I can tell."

"We were talking about Lori's pregnancy." Daryl gave a shocked grunt in response and Grace carried on. "He doesn't know that you know and I think you can understand him wanting to have a little bit of privacy in his personal life."

"Ya," he mumbled, looking at the ground as they walked. "Guess I understand that."

Grace leaned against his arm, pushing at him to get him to look at her. "You don't have to worry, you know. If there was something important, I'd tell you. It might take me a while but I will tell you."

"Don't like how Rick did it so easy, though. Wha's he got ta hide?"

Had she just not told him she would tell him things if they were important. This was important. "Rick's going to stay here."

"Wha?"

"He's keeping Carl and Lori here for a few more days. Hershel's going to let him. We can't all stay but he wants to make sure Carl is healed just as much as the rest of us."

"Can't ya look af'er the kid?"

"Not if he starts bleeding internally again."

"Guess tha' makes sense. Jus' don't like tha thought uh splittin' off from the group. Him tryin' ta keep his woman an' kid in mind? Tha's gonna get 'em all killed. An' I ain't even thinkin' 'bout the barn uh horrors."

"It's his family, Daryl. His choice."

Daryl squinted down at Grace considering her with a determined expression. After a moment of silence he spoke quietly, "Ain't Rick's kid, is it?" She kept quiet on the matter but that was enough for Daryl to understand. He nodded once and licked his lips. "Shane's then." Not a question.

"Daryl let's not talk about that..."

"Don't take Sherlock ta figure it out." Daryl shook his head. "He's gonna be pissed when he finds out they staying behind. S'like he owns 'em or somethin'."

"Leave that to Rick. It's not our problem."

"Shane's gonna make it e'eryone's problem."

Grace bit her bottom lip, "He can try. I'm not going to be the one encouraging him though."

"Fair enough. Le's go back ta camp. Help Carol like ya said."

"Don't forget the RV too. I'm not getting stopped in a pile-up again."

* * *

"THE HELL YA MEAN YER STAYIN'!" Shane's voice echoed through the camp and Grace rolled over, burying her face into Daryl's chest. She'd woken-up when Daryl had gone on watch and true to her word, stayed up fitfully for the three hours he was gone. Daryl's return had been enough for her to settle back into a fitful sleep but it was still barely after sunrise and no one in the camp should be up this early unless it was for a reason. Screaming down camp was not a reason.

"Guess Rick tol' 'im." Daryl's voice rumbled under her cheek and Grace groaned.

"You think?" she mocked. "Damn it's early."

"Too early fer shoutin' like tha', tha's fer sure. Hope he don' bring down a herd on us."

Grace nodded, pressing her lips against the skin she found, lips brushing the short coarse hairs and scar tissue briefly. "Up we get. Someone's going to have to help Rick get him settled."

"Yer voulenteerin' me?"

"I'm thinking Shane's like a wild dog and it'll take everyone."

"YA WANNA TAKE THE 'ROID RAGE SOMEWHERE ELSE?" Merle had thrown open the front of the truck and was hollering back at Shane.

"Jesus."

Grace pushed herself up off of Daryl and straightened her shirt, leaning over to grab Daryl's and throw it to him. "We better hurry before someone gets shot." She was shoving her feet into her boots just as quickly as Daryl was pulling his top on. By the time they got out of the truck, other people were sticking their sleepy heads out of their tents. Everyone seemed to be focused on the three men sitting around the fire but no one was doing anything.

"Ain't like nobody gotta fuckin' move or nothin'!" Daryl snarled as he hopped out of the truck and stormed over to where Merle, Rick, and Shane were.

Grace grumbled, "Damn it!" and followed after Daryl. He was right though, everyone was watching and no one was doing anything to stop the shit storm brewing. "Everyone needs to back down." She approached the situation with her hands up trying to separate the angered parties. Everyone was on edge as Shane circled Rick.

"He thinks he's stayin' behind!" Shane snarled, pointing an accusing finger at Rick. "He's willin' Lori and Carl's life over this little power struggle. We gotta stick together, man," Shane addressed his friend. "You can't just leave the group. That ain't right!"

"It's not about that. The medical supplies are here. I want Carl to stay put until we're sure he doesn't need to go under again. It'll be a week." Rick was struggling to control his own temper as he tried to deescalate the situation with Shane.

Shane snorted, "That what yer plannin' on tellin' people. Mornin' folks," he spun around to face the tired eyes and gesture widely. "Our fearless leader is abandonin' ship."

"I'm not abandoning anyone, Shane. I'm taking care of my family."

"By keeping them around this hell hole? You're doing a bang-up job there, Rick. I'm sure Lori and Carl will feel super-duper safe sleeping next to a barn FULL OF WALKERS!"

"Shane, please stop this nonsense." Lori stepped out of the Grimes family tent, pushing Carl behind her. "This isn't your choice."

"You knew about this?" He threw his hands up in the air. "She fuckin' knew about it! 'Course you did. An' yer just alright with staying here."

"Leave it!" Lori growled. "It's not your place. We're staying until Carl is healed. This isn't your family, Shane."

Shane's eyebrows rose steadily upward in shock and betrayal as he looked down at Lori with pain clearly etched in the lines on his face. "I..."

"_We_ aren't your family." Lori spat angrily looking like she was ready to slap Shane.

Merle gave a low whistle. "An' I thought I was pissed ta be woke-up. Wowie, woman!"

"Merle," Grace hissed and Merle slunk backwards.

"Let's just leave this for now. We can discuss this later." Rick pushed himself between his wife and best friend. "This isn't the time or place."

"You're not coming with us?" Andrea called out from the RV, clearly missing that Rick was attempting to end the conversation. Nervously everyone turned to Rick.

"No," he relented, finally admitting the truth he'd been hiding. "It'll only be for a little while until we can be sure that Carl won't need more surgery and another transfusion. We just want to give him some more down time. Hershel's agreed that we can stay in the house and in about a week, we'll join up with you."

"A week?" Dale worried. The old man was leaning on the counter of the RV just behind Andrea. "Do you really think it will take that long?"

"We've discussed it." Grace butted in, taking some of the pressure off of Rick. "After that time we're sure that there shouldn't be any complications and I'll be able to take over monitoring his condition. Right now though, he needs to be kept near someone who's able to stop internal bleeding if something does happen to go wrong."

Lori paled beside her husband but Rick nodded gratefully at Grace. "At that point we're hoping to be able to start clearing out the housing complex. The fewer people we cram into that house on a temporary basis before we get our permanent place, the better. I'm hoping by that point we can convince Hershel to either come with us or trade for some farming equipment and livestock. Within the confines of those walls we'll be well protected."

The former sheriff sounded so certain of this plan that Grace found herself forgetting the lack of confidence he had shown the night before. Rick was winging it, just like the rest of them. It might be a decent plan but it was just as good as any other plan that one of them could come up with. Actually it showed a little bit more planning than Grace had put into the idea. She hadn't thought much beyond what they would do when they got safely behind the walls. She'd figured they could gather supplies and hole up but she hadn't thought long term when canned food started running low and there were the options they had before.

* * *

"You finally got rid of that hat." Grace teased Glenn as he walked past her toward the RV.

The Asian man grinned back at her, "Yeah, I can give it back to Dale now. Maggie's going to clean the egg out of mine."

"You're staying aren't you?" She nodded, giving him a sneaky smile. He seemed to not want to say anything but the smile was enough to give it away. "Good for you, Glenn!"

"I dunno." He scuffed his foot in the dirt. "That barn... I'd like it if they would come with us once the other place is safe. Maggie, well, I think she's starting to realize that they aren't just sick. There was that walker in the well and when we were getting the stuff for Lori, there was one in the pharmacy. I think I can convince her that she needs to be somewhere safe, away from all of them."

"I'm sure Rick will appreciate an ally. We'd all like for them to move with us. Andrea and Shane figure there's got to be about sixty, maybe sixty-five houses in Wiltshire. That's plenty for everyone. We could each have two!" She laughed openly. "They'll come around. It's just because they've been so sheltered. It'll be easier to bring the animals inside a solid wall for the winter anyway."

Glenn nodded along, "I just don't know how long it will take. I don't..."

"Stay with her. I think we all understand where you're coming from. Plus it's one fewer bed we've got to find a place for. We're going to be pretty snug for the next few weeks."

"That long?"

"I'd want to wait as long as we can to make sure all those houses are cleared out. There'd be nothing worse than getting everyone in there and suddenly having casualties. If we know they can't get in to grow in numbers then we'll just have to wait to draw them all out."

"Makes sense."

"Yeah, we're nearly ready to head out. I'm going to go talk to Lori quickly before we do. Meet you over there?"

"I'll walk with you." Glenn took the RV stairs quickly and grabbed his hat off the counter inside. "This is all I came over here for. My stuffs already in the house."

"The house, really? I figured that Hershel would have you sleeping on the porch."

Glenn gave a nervous snort of laughter. "I don't think Maggie's told her dad where she plans on having me sleep yet. I may end up there anyway."

"Just be glad they don't have a dog or you'd be sleeping in the dog house."

They walked back to the house where most of the group was gathering to say good-bye. Andrea and T-Dog had been making their way around the edge of the property to make sure that no other walkers had stumbled over the property line. Grace might have told them to be careful but it was clear from the way Andrea's hands kept finding the waistband of her jeans that she was carrying a gun. The blonde woman hadn't learned to accept the weight of a gun on her hip yet. She was still nervous to carry it and even more nervous to get caught.

"You need to stop touching it." Grace gave Andrea a pointed look. Andrea blushed and nodded seriously, hands balling into fists at her sides.

T-Dog looked between the two women, "Am I missing something?"

"Nope," Grace shook her head and smiled. "Just girl talk."

"Don't worry about it." Andrea agreed.

"What's going on?" T-Dog pointed up to the porch. Carl and Sophia were playing quietly together, watched over by the teenagers while their mothers sorted through supplies.

"Why isn't everyone ready?"

"You haven't seen Rick?" Glenn questioned back.

Andrea looked confused, "He went off with Hershel. We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago."

"Ya you were." Daryl growled.

"Come on people! Get yer asses in gear!" Merle snarled from beside his brother. The two Dixons had been wandering around camp disgruntled to not have left sooner. No one wanted to leave without seeing Rick though. Even though he was staying behind, everyone still regarded him as their leader and waited for him to make the final call. Maybe they were just hoping that they would change his mind if the group stuck around long enough. Lori seemed fairly determined to stay though. Maybe it would be good for the Grimes family to take a break from being 'The First Family of the Apocalypse.'

Daryl rolled his eyes as no one made a single move to start getting up to leave. "Damn it! Is no one takin' this seriously?"

"I think we all are, Daryl." Grace offered. "We can't just leave though."

"Sure we can," He retorted. "All it takes is gettin' off yer ass an' inta tha truck."

"Shane," T-Dog pointed over her shoulder and Grace turned away from Daryl's glare to watch as Shane walked up the driveway. Slung over his shoulder was a large black duffel bag. It took Grace a moment to realize that it was the gun bag that Rick had brought with him from his old sheriff's station.

"Ah, here we go." Daryl nodded, pleased that someone finally seemed to be doing something. "Leavin' soon."

"Shane, why do you have the guns?" Her voice seemed unsteady, even to her ears.

It seemed to dawn on Daryl that Shane was holding the gun bag and he pointed to it, "What's all this?"

"Ya with me, man?" Shane questioned the other man passing him a gun. Daryl accepted it but stared down at the weapon. "Dixon?" Shane regarded Merle.

Calmly the older Dixon brother held out his hand. Shane unzipped the bag and passed him a rifle. Merle considered the weapon for a moment before checking to see if the gun was loaded. "What're we doin', Offica?"

"What we shoulda done two days ago. Time to grow-up." Shane continued storming past the house, passing the people clustered around the porch. "Ya already got yers?" He turned to Andrea and she nodded. Without thinking, Grace reached for her own gun and pulled it out. Whatever was going to happen wasn't good.

The bald former sheriff passed T-Dog a handgun. "Thought we couldn't carry?" The black man questioned.

"Ya well, now we can." Shane began walking away from the group, looking back to make sure people were starting to following him. "Look, it was one thing sittin' around here pickin' daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. Now we know it ain't an' it's splittin' us apart. We gotta take care uh this problem the way it shoulda been handled when we first found that barn."

"No!" Beth whimpered and Patricia grabbed her.

Maggie looked up onto the porch where her sister was and then back at Glenn. Shane seemed to catch the look and he turned on the Asian man, holding out a gun. "How 'bout you man? Ya gonna protect what's yers?" He challenged and Glenn took the gun while looking directly at Shane, accepting the other man's stare. "Can ya shoot?" Shane asked Maggie.

"Can you stop?" Maggie snarled back. "You hand out those guns my dad's going to make all of you leave, right now. Your boy included."

"What are you doing, Shane?" Carl questioned. His voice sounding remarkably like his father's. "We're only going to stay for a few days. I'll be healed before you know it. Just, leave it be okay."

"What is this?" Lori screeched behind her son.

"We ain't goin' anywhere 'less it's as a group." Shane growled, reaching in his bag and pulling out a small gun. "No look, Hershel, he's just gonna have to understand, okay? Well he's gonna have to." Kneeling down in front of the boy, Shane held out the gun. "Listen, little man, your dad ain't thinkin' right. He's tryin' but he ain't. I need ya to take this. Ya take this, ya keep yer mother safe, ya take it. Go on. Ya know how."

Lori wedged herself between Shane and Carl, pushing her son back toward the house. "Rick said, 'no guns'. This is not your call, This is not your decision to make. _We're_ _not your family!_"

"Go on and keep tellin' yerself that, Lori." Shane ground his teeth together.

"Oh shit!" T-Dog gasped, making everyone turn back to him. Rick, Jimmy, and Hershel were coming out of the trees from the direction of the swamp with two other figures. Both were badly decomposed and Jimmy seemed to be teasing the walkers as Rick and Hershel held them on long catchpoles.

"What the fuck?" Grace felt her eyes bulge out. They watched in shock as the walkers turned and swatted at Rick before Jimmy drew their attention again.

"God damn it!" Shane stood and began moving quickly toward his best friend, breaking into a sprint. Everyone began running after him and he raced across the field shouting. "What the hell are you doin'?" He screamed at Rick, flying through the gate a full speed.

"Shane, just leave it." Rick said, holding tight to his catchpole.

Hershel glared nervously at the people surrounding him. "Why do your people have guns?"

"Are you kiddin' me?" Shane retorted. "Do ya'll see what they're holdin' on to?"

"I see _who_ I'm holding on to." The vet replied with determination.

"Just let it go, then we can talk." Rick offered his friend. Shane was circling the walkers now, staying just out of reach, close enough to grab their attention and make them follow but stepping back at just the right times so they gurgled and choked at the end of their tethers, making Rick and Hershel cling to their poles.

"Wha'da ya wanna talk about? These things ain't sick. They aren't people. They're dead. Ain't gotta feel nothin' for them, 'cause all they do? They kill! These things, right here. They're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us unless we shoot now."

"SHANE! STOP!" Rick hollered over the snarling and growling.

"Shane, I think you need to give Rick the chance to explain himself." Grace stepped forward and Daryl caught her by the arm.

"No fuckin' way are ya gettin' close to those things!" Daryl's voice was almost as deep a growl as the walkers' as he lashed out and yanked her back.

"Listen to him, Grace." Shane smirked over his shoulder before turned back to Hershel and pulling out his handgun. He was enjoying this confrontation far too much. "Hey Hershel," he taunted, cocking the gun. "Let me ask you something. A living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" Holding the gun with on hand, completely confident he aimed at the female walker and fired three times, hitting her in almost exactly the same spot, there holes forming in her nightgown and oozing with goo.

"Whoa!" Glenn whimper as everyone flinched.

Rick gave a violent jerk on his walker, "Stop it!"

"That's three rounds in the chest. Someone that's alive, could they just take that? Why's it still comin'?" He fired twice more, aiming higher this time. "That's its heart. Its lungs. WHY'S IT STILL COMIN'!?" He fired off the gun twice more. "You're puttin' your families at risk keepin' them here with those things. You're puttin' them in DANGER!" Two more loud pops.

"Shane, that's enough." Rick bellowed again, trying to control his friend at a distance while keeping his walker under control.

Shane nodded, "You're right. That is enough." Time slowed down as Shane strode up to the walker confidently and shot it in the head, Hershel dropped the pole as the deadweight collapsed to the ground, the walker dying for a second time. "Enough riskin' our lives every day. Enough listenin' to a half crazy man. Enough livin' next to a barn full of walkers that want us dead. Enough! Rick, it ain't like it used to be. If you wanna survive, ya gotta fight for it! I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT FIGHT! RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW!"

"HELL YA!" Merle whooped and did a little dance, brandishing his gun. "No more uh this shit! No more nicey-nice!"

Shane raced over to the barn, fists pounding against it as he tried to get the doors open.

"HERSHEL!" Rick screamed holding out his catchpole. "Take it! Take it now! HERSHEL!"

The old man on the ground was frozen by shock, completely immobile. He didn't seem to hear what Rick was saying, only stared blankly down at the corpse on the ground. He made not a single move to take the pole from the former sheriff who was trying to pass it to him, so he could take off after Shane and stop him before he got the barn doors open.

Both Dixons had their sights trained on the barn doors but Grace saw her opportunity much closer to them. Turning her own gun on the walker at the end of Rick's catchpole, she lined up while his was distracted and fired. The first bullet hit too low but the second caught the walker in the jaw and the third hit it in the forehead. It went down and Rick's jaw dropped following it.

"What the...?"

"This is bullshit!" Grace set her jaw and shook her head. "Walking them like dogs."

"Jesus, Gracie!" Merle whistled and nudged his brother still holding his gun pointed toward the barn. "Yer woman jus' shot a walker." He pointed.

"Get the fuck away from it, Carter." Daryl didn't even turned his head.

"Just trying to help," she grumbled.

Rick dropped the pole when the walker didn't get up again and charged toward Shane, just as the pickaxe Shane was using broke through the chain that held the door closed. Complete, Shane yanked the wooden board across the door out of the way and Rick stopped dead. Slowly the doors swung open. Behind him people were still shouting for Shane to stop. Carol had grabbed on to her daughter and Lori imitated the action with Carl, both of them clinging to their children attempting to shield them as the first walkers stumbled out into the sunlight. T-Dog ran past her to join the lineup at Daryl's right side. Andrea shouldered her gun at the same time that Grace lifted her handgun. Both stepped up to stand beside the men and aimed at the barn. Grace found herself between Merle and Daryl at the far left of the line up. Shane fired first, taking down a walker with a single shot. As more spilled from the barn, the bullets rained down on them, some walkers getting shot two, three, even four times before the perfect head shot was made.

There were so many.

Unlike Shane, Grace hadn't ever pressed her face to the barn doors to see inside. She hadn't wanted to know how many there were. If he knew though, if he was fully aware of just how many there were then he knew just how many would come out when he opened the doors. How could he be so stupid to let them all out at once? Glenn had crawled into the loft. Surely they could have been picked off that way, sitting in the loft and firing down from a safe distance. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Why would he choose to make a big show and set them all free? It was nothing more than a power play. Forcing Rick to make a choice between sitting back and clinging on to the illusion of safety he and Hershel had concocted and making a choice to step up and fight to keep his family safe.

For the first few gunshots, Rick stood frozen until finally he dropped the now limp pole that was still connected to the walkers Grace had shot. As the walkers continued to shamble through the now open barn doors, Rick pulled out his sidearm and joined those who were willing to do what needed to be done and kill the walkers. Grace was glad for the extra firepower. She wasn't used to shooting so many times in a row and her shoulder was starting to ache. She could only imagine how the recoil must be killing Daryl. Dropping her gun for a moment, she looked behind her staring at the people who weren't holding guns. Behind them Beth wailed and Patricia was crying quietly into her hands. With Glenn leaving her to join the shooting, Maggie had stepped in close to her father and was resting a hand on his shoulder as the man knelt gaping at the barn, with watery eyes.

"Gettin' tired, Gracie?" Merle narrowed his eyes, still locked on to the walkers. For once his tone was serious, not a hint of light-hearted joking in it at all.

"No," She set her jaw turning away from the useless lumps curled up and bitching behind them. Lori could shoot, Carol too probably if someone had taught her. Carl knew how to use a gun, Shane wouldn't have offered him one if he didn't and Rick had let his son carry one while the boy was helping him stand guard. He could shoot with them. If that boy could learn then Sophia was plenty old enough as well. Patricia, Beth, Claire, and Jimmy had been there for shooting practice too and it wouldn't be too hard to teach Maggie. Hershel had been around long enough that he'd probably held a gun or two in his life. It wasn't fair that the responsibility of protecting the group should be divided in half. They should know, they should all know these things. That was the only way they would survive. If you couldn't defend yourself then you needed to learn. Shane was right. If you wanted to survive, you had to fight for it.

Grace made a promise that if they all made it through this she would take Sophia, Claire, and Carol out for shooting practice as soon as they found a safe enough place to hold it. The next time there were so many walkers, they would all be armed and the whole group could stand side by side and fight. Anyone who wasn't able to fight was just holding them back, a liability.

The flow of walkers seemed to cut off almost suddenly. There was just no more in the barn to spill outside. The pile in front of the doors was impressive though; bodies and gore splashed across the sand and topped off with more bodies and gore. The sounds that had been dulled by the gunfire seemed to rush back suddenly: the crying, the heavy breathing of exertion, the goddamned wind in the trees. They waited, staring at the doors nervously, hoping to not see another walker but not knowing if they really were all put down.

"Check the bodies," Shane murmured quietly. "No one gets to close until we're sure..."

"Get the kids out of here." Grace shouted, suddenly remembering how close Sophia and Carl were to this chaos. The last thing they needed to be doing was worrying about what the kids were doing and how close they were to the large number of walkers. "Carol, Lori!" She added pointedly when the women didn't immediately jump into action.

Carol jumped up first, hauling Sophia along behind her and taking Lori's shoulder at the same time. Lori turned, shocked to see Carol taking charge like that. "Leave them to it." Carol smiled sadly.

"Claire-girl," Merle grunted and Claire nodded, understanding without words. She turned away to trail after the women as they walked away.

"Grace?"

"I'm good, Dare. Just shook up is all." Daryl inched close to her anyway. His shoulder bumped into hers as Beth's sobbing turned to words.

"Mom. Mom! MOM!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Beth was the first of the Greenes to regain movement. As everyone was still staring blankly in shock at the pile of walkers, the teenager ripped herself free from her boyfriend's arms and stumbled toward the heap, sobbing quietly and muttering about her step-mother. Grace had always held a small amount of guilt for running away before the town was overtaken and abandoning her friends, but seeing the Greenes mourn their loved ones, she was grateful. There had never been the fear that she would be bitten by someone she cared for after they turned, there wasn't the volume of deaths. Everyone she had known in her old life save for Daryl and Merle were simply gone, vanished and partially forgotten except for faint memories. Grace had never known large scale grief like this.

Amy had been sudden and tragic but unavoidable. Jim had been slow and unavoidable. Already everyone was aware of what would happen and they knew what needed to be done afterwards. They had no hope. There was no pretending. The Greenes though, had believed that their loved ones could be saved, that there would be a cure if they were kept in that barn long enough. They lost them not just the once when they first turned but again as they were spilling from the barn and gunned down.

"Beth don't!" Maggie pleaded quietly as her sister staggered closer, stepping over limp limbs to reach the spot where her step-mother had fallen.

"Mom?" She whimpered, "Shawn?" With no care at all for her own safety and not a flinch that she was touching corpses, Beth lifted the body of a fallen walker and rolled it off of her step-mother. The woman must have turned quickly as she was wearing an everyday dress and skirt. Nothing to show she'd been sick and in bed. They had probably just told her to rest, take it easy because she'd had quite the ordeal. Then she had turned. Maybe it was a shock to them. She might have been one of the first.

It was impossible to tell if the woman had once been pretty from the condition of her body. Her face was all grey matter and sunken cheeks with eyes so deep in her skull that it was nearly impossible to make them out. Grace had seen pictures on the fridge and the walls of the farmhouse though, and Beth's step-mother was unrecognizable from the woman she had been.

It was heartbreaking to see just how young the little blonde teenager looked in that moment - so fragile and completely devastated. Anger welled up in the pit of Grace's stomach. Hershel could have prevented this. He should have. To keep his family so blind to what was going on around them didn't help anyone, it didn't make it easier when the inevitable happened, it only made the in-between moments less painful. His willful ignorance was causing the destruction of his family. They just couldn't cope with that they were now seeing because they hadn't been prepared in any way for it.

Using as gentle a voice as possible, Grace took a step away from Daryl and toward the girl, kneeling beside the pile of corpses. "Beth, honey, come on. You don't need to see this." She didn't want to startle her when she didn't get closer. "Go on up to the house with Claire. Take Jimmy with you. We'll clean up this mess. You can bury her later when this is all sorted out."

Daryl growled, low in the back of his throat. "Don't you go near 'em, Grace."

"I'm getting Beth." She responded, taking another step forward.

"No ya ain't."

"Someone needs to."

"She's got family. They can do it."

Grace ignored him and continued to move close to the girl surrounded by dead things. Beth was going to need someone to help her cope. Maggie as well. They had nothing to fall back on, no way to understand what had happened when their world was destroyed. She felt bad for them, pitied them, shared their grief. She was grateful to not see her own loved ones turn but she also didn't know what happened to them. This was her family as well. Everyone she ever knew. Some of them could still be alive, surviving like she was, but it was likely that they'd never meet again. If they were out there, she'd want someone to be there to comfort them. "Come on, Beth"

Beth was deaf to Grace's gentle coaxing, instead she rolled the body in her arms over and moved to brush the hair back from its face. The movement was enough to spread her scent clearly because the bruised sunken eyes flew open, milky pupils searching. Grace jumped back as the group sprung into action, Daryl yanking her backwards and dragging her by her arms away. Rick caught Beth as Shane jumped in to help pull the girl free. Glenn grabbed the walker, yanking the other way and then holding the body down as T-Dog and Merle both began to smash the walker in with their boots.

Seeing his youngest daughter in danger, Hershel finally rose. Rick passed off the hysterical teenager to her father and surveyed the bodies.

"Double check them all." The former sheriff grimaced. "Someone get a shovel. We'll need to go through all the skulls to make sure."

"Are you insane?" Hershel snapped, clutching Beth to his chest.

"You do you want someone else hurt?" Rick's jaw twitched. "This is your time to realize what world we're living in."

"You're animals!" The old man began to help his daughter into the house. "All of you, ANIMALS! After all we've done for you this is how you repay us."

Grace watched from around Daryl's shoulder as Glenn glanced across the crowd to see Maggie still focused on the bodies. When Maggie looked up to meet his gaze, she frowned and turned on her heel to follow her father and sister inside. Patricia joined the group heading back to the house but Jimmy stayed behind, surveying the damage.

"Ya okay?" Daryl mumbled, nervously glancing at the bodies and slowly sliding the two of them further backwards.

"Fine." Grace nodded. "I didn't even get close."

"Gracie?"

"I'm good, Merle."

"Christ," Merle was shaking his head in disbelief at the retreating quartet. "Tha' man shoulda been watchin' his damn kid better. Don't see our girl stickin' 'round here."

"Yeah," Grace turned in Daryl's arms, still leaning against him for support. "Look how many there are. Shit, how'd they get them all in there?" Grace was whispering now, her voice dropping as if speaking loudly would wake the dead. "It can't have been easy."

"Otis did it." Rick frowned. "Hershel said they hadn't put anyone in there since Otis. He'd go out into the swamp and collect them when they got stuck in the mud. I guess they led them here with the catch poles."

"Nasty," Andrea shook her head, pushing one of the bodies with her foot. "Look at this mess. And why the barn? Waste of good space. Rotten and falling down my ass."

"It was probably just a ploy," Rick agreed. "He knew. Deep down he knew. He wanted to keep them hidden from us so he didn't have to face the truth."

There was no way he couldn't have known, Grace was sure of that. Just seeing the walkers was enough proof that these were not sick people. The bodies rotted, they didn't feel pain or temperature, and there was nothing but a drive to eat. They were mindless. Without motivation they sat and waited. They followed sound, smell or movement but with no stimulation, they would probably just sit and rot to pieces. In a few years, the majority of the walkers would be gone, rotted away. Maybe some would freeze and preserve or they would dry out in the desert but the majority of walkers in hot, humid climates like this would be nothing but bones. There wasn't the population to keep the walkers' numbers up. There just weren't enough people remaining. If they could just last long enough, soon there would be far less of a threat. The walkers they met would grow slower, more likely to fall apart, less able to keep up. They'd become an inconvenience rather than a danger.

For the family to have lived so close to them and still keep pretending that those corpses would come back as loved ones, that was just pure denial. There wasn't any excuse for ignoring the facts other than a misguided grieving strategy. If that wasn't the reason behind it then there was something seriously wrong with all of them. Even Andrea had understood as she watched her sister turn. The blonde had stayed with her sister's body keeping vigil but when Amy turned, Andrea made her peace and put her down. It was easy to see when they returned that these weren't the people who died coming back. Not a hint of humanity remained in a walker's eyes. They were flat and dead still. No spark.

"Where do we start?" Glenn grimaced.

"I'll go get Otis's truck," Shane offered. We can take 'em out to the west field and burn 'em."

"No, I'll do it." Rick shook his head at his friend. "Already got Hershel pissed off enough at you for opening the doors. Last thing we need is him pissed you took the truck without asking."

"And the wife and son should be buried." Grace offered. "At least give them that bit of peace. They might be more likely to forgive us if we allow them a grave to mourn at. It help them find closure as well." She looked at Jimmy. "Would you mind pointing them out to us? You don't need to stay and help clean up if it's too much for you.

The teenager was still pale with shock and wringing his hands but he jumped at the sound of his name and looked at Grace with wide eyes. "I'm okay," Jimmy's voice was raspy like he'd been shouting. He cleared his throat. "The one that went after Beth was her step-mom. Shawn is over there," He pointed to one of the bumps.

"Poor bastards," Daryl tsked softly.

"The walkers or the people?"

Daryl just shrugged in response.

Slowly everyone began moving in their own direction, working to check on walkers to make sure they were really dead this time and lining up the bodies. Daryl and Merle moved together, one at the head, the other at the feet. When Shane pulled up the truck they lifted the corpses and stacked them like logs. Grace found herself stepping over to the barn and pulling the doors open wider. Inside there was clear signs that the walkers had been there for a while. Long deep gouges lined the walls where they had tried to claw their way out and the floor was covered in a mixture of gunk and fluffy white stuff. Grace blinked in confusion, bending down to pick up one of the white things from the floor. It was a feather. Seeing as the chickens were penned up a far distance from the barn it suddenly became clear that not only were the walkers housed, they were fed as well.

"Poor bastards." Grace repeated Daryl's statement and dropped the feather back to the floor.

They wouldn't leave tonight, not after what had just happened. Everyone needed to mourn and forgive each other. It would do no good to burn bridges and then move to another farm. They had to fix their relationship before someone tried to get revenge. They had to clean up the mess they had made before they could even think about moving on. At least it would be a better sleep tonight without worrying about the walkers breaking out of the barn.

This all depending on Hershel letting them stay though. If he really and truly wanted them to leave, the best thing for them to do would be to pack up and get out as soon as possible. Shane would need to be dealt with immediately if he caused any sort of a problem. If Rick wanted his family to stay and Hershel was letting them, that was their own business. Shane couldn't be throwing a temper tantrum every time he was told no. That was just a liability. Grace hoped that when all this was done and Rick had a chance to really think about what happened, that he would take the time to talk to his friend and put him back into place. This wasn't their property and even though in this new world it really was fight or die, if someone else made a choice, then it had to be respected. Respect and trust were not earned through force.

* * *

Two sloppy holes, four foot and change deep. Enough that the bodies would stay buried but not so much that it was hard to pull yourself out of them. Andrea, T-Dog and Grace worked on one while Shane, Merle, and Daryl had a little pissing contest over the other one. Each many tried to dig deeper and faster than the others. All it resulted in was a sloppy hole.

"You think they're going to let up anytime soon?" Andrea whispered over the chuch-chuch of the shovels in the dirt. She kept looking under her arm and nearly hitting Grace with the butt end of her shovel.

Grace sighed, glancing over at the other hole and wiping sweat off her forehead. "Probably not. The three of them all have something to prove.

"Dunno how they're doin' it. T-Dog rubbed his arm where the white bandages were stained brown with mud. "This hurts like a bitch."

"Probably why they're digging so hard."

"Ya'll wanna stop chatterin' an' start diggin'," Merle shouted, swinging at the dirt once again.

Grace tried to fight back a laugh. It was frightening how easily she could laugh after watching a whole barn full of walkers get shot. Shouldn't she be repulsed or something? Nothing seemed to faze her anymore. The bodies, the gunk, even the smell was losing its shock value. It didn't matter because these weren't real people. They were walkers. The group put down walkers all the time.

She tried to picture Rooster's boy that she'd shot back at the hunt camp. The little clearing of trees, the shock of the smell, the way her hands trembled as she pulled the trigger over and over. The kickback making her wrists ache. Merle's panic, then Daryl's. Everything seemed to have happened such a long time ago. That was Claire's cousin that she'd shot. A teenage boy. But Grace felt not a speck of remorse. She knew, knew deep down that he was already dead.

A flash of Andrea holding Amy, waiting for her sister to come back so the other blonde could be the one to pull the trigger. Holding her, whispering as if she could hear, not letting anyone close, but knowing. Andrea had known what was coming. What needed to be done.

The handful of pills she'd given Jim. Those chalky capsules that would knock him out, leave him flying high until his final moments. Where was Jim now? Wandering? Still sitting under that tree? Rotting slowly stuck in a fence? Eating gophers in a ditch?

Jacqui who couldn't bring herself to face the outside world.

The walkers Grace had beaten in with a rock to protect Sophia.

The ones she'd tricked into the church so they could run away.

These things weren't people any more. This funeral was long overdue. If they'd seen these monsters every day - smelt the stench, watched the skin shrink, listened to the teeth grind together, been face to face with the sinking eyes – how could they not know? How could they still think there was a way to save them? Even if there was a cure, it wouldn't save anyone that was already dead. It was morbid to think that someone rotting to pieces would still hold onto their humanity. It made her stomach flop for the first time since Beth's stepmom had grabbed her. To be trapped inside a rotting meat-sack that you were unable to control. That was just plain horrifying. That was a lot more terrible than thinking that they were dead empty shells.

"Think that's about it." Shane leaned back to admire his hole. Both Daryl and Merle glared. "Someone wanna go get Hershel?"

"Send Rick," Andrea shrugged. "I doubt that Hershel will want to see any of us."

* * *

"Lunch time!" Carol called, she had Sophia on one side and Claire on the other. Both girls were helping to carry the food. Grace didn't want to ask where it had come from. They had so little of their own now that any meal of that quantity had to be from Hershel's personal stores. She wondered if the man was aware or if he was still lost in his own world while his family suffered on without him. He'd been quiet at the funeral. When he had come outside he'd been wearing a pressed grey suit and tie that smelled of mothballs. In a monotone he'd read out the 23rd Psalm, dropped a handful of gravel in the grave, and then walked away. There was no comforting gesture for his family. He hadn't even glanced at his daughters. Everyone else had slowly trickled away after that, leaving the graves to be filled in by Grace, T-Dog, Andrea, and the Dixons.

It was hard work digging graves but moving the rest of the bodies was nasty. Grace felt disgusting, her clothes covered in dust, dirt, and other questionable substances. She didn't want to know how much walker guts she'd actually gotten while dragging bodies in and out of the truck. It had to be done, there was no leaving the bodies to rot. It was unsanitary, the cloud of insects made that clear. Who knew what sorts of bacteria developed on these bodies and what would happen during the first rain storm. Already the smell had become second nature and that in itself was disturbing. Becoming accustomed to death and rot was disturbing.

"You better wash up first." The short-haired woman looked pointedly at them and everyone who'd been cleaning up the yard, looked up unphased. They all knew they were filthy, Carol didn't need to point it out to them. One by one they went to the water pump and lined up, someone producing a hard white bar of soap to make the washing-up process easier. There wasn't much to do about their clothes but at least their hands and arms could be cleaned before they started to eat. Work gloves only kept the gunk directly off their skin, the smell still stuck and there was dust and sweat to cope with.

The meal was vegetable soup and hard brown buns, slightly burned on one side from not being baked properly. Still Grace found herself sitting beside Daryl, downwind from the burning pile and leaning against a tree, savouring every bite. This wasn't where she'd pictured herself getting her next meal.

"Hey," Daryl grunted softly beside her, startling Grace out of her thoughts. He was addressing Carol who had made her way over from where she had been serving the food.

"Hello," she offered softly, smiling down at Grace and Daryl nervously. "Grace, Maggie would like to see you in the house as soon as possible."

Grace looked at Daryl but she was already nodding, "I'll go now." She popped the last bite of bun in her mouth. "Do you know where she is?"

"Beth's room." Carol frowned, worrying her lip a little bit.

Grace found herself mirroring Carol's concerned expression. "Is something wrong?"

Carol gave her shoulders a noncommittal shrug. "Beth's in a bit of a state and we can't find Hershel. Claire's upset about it but I think it would be better for her to stay outside with the group. I don't want to interfere though."

"Better to keep her out of the house. I'll go see what I can do. Has anyone told Jimmy?"

"I doubt it. He stayed with us; they went to the house. I think Maggie's upset that he's helping us clean up."

Daryl gave a disapproving grunt. Grace hadn't realized that he was still listening in on the conversation but sure enough he had settled his bowl in his lap and was glaring up at the house. "Fat lotta good the rest of 'em are doin'. They was so worried 'bout keepin' the walkers alive but once they was dead i's our job ta clean 'em up? Lazy bastards. Betcha tha girl got herself bit."

"Daryl," Grace found herself scolding as Carol put her hand over her mouth, shocked.

"I's true."

"It doesn't mean while we're here we can't help them. It's not her fault that her dad is a crazy person."

"Yer jus' gonna go up there, not even knowin'?"

"I'm going to help her. If she's bitten or scratched or whatever then she'll need someone who's not her father to help her deal with it. We don't even know for sure yet."

Daryl narrowed his eyes and stared her down. She knew what he was saying, these people weren't supposed to be their problem. It should have been a stop off to regroup before they headed off to wherever they were going. They had a plan, a place to go. The truck was already packed. She'd been so determined to leave with or without the group, but she couldn't leave a problem like that behind. She could at least check on Beth to confirm or deny. After that, well she'd figure things out then.

Staring back with determination, Grace patted her side, "I got this." Saying fuck it to all her usual doubts, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. She felt him tense but he didn't pull back.

* * *

The house was quiet as Grace walked up to it. Glenn paced back and forth on the porch but jumped out of rhythm when he saw her. "Grace, thank god!"

"What's going on? Carol just told me that something happened with Beth."

The Asian man was nodding furiously, seeming more like a bobble head than an actual person. "She just collapsed, you know? One minute Maggie and I were talking and Beth is doing the dishes and the next she's on the floor. She won't even talk to anyone. It's like she's gone." He widened his eyes and dropped his mouth in a demonstration of a blank expression. "We put her into bed but I dunno. What if something's really wrong?"

"Deep breath," Grace raised a hand to fend off Glenn's over excitement about the situation. "I'll go take a look at her. We'll handle things when we get to them. For now let's just try to stay calm before we start a panic."

"Uh-huh," Glenn nodded, "That makes sense. Wouldn't want to start a panic. No one should panic."

"Go for a walk, Glenn."

He looked up at her with confusion for a moment before hanging his head. "I guess I should go check on things. Just a lot has happened today. I'm a bit..."

"Wound up?" Grace chuckled. "Go, I'm sure when you come back everything will have sorted itself out." She smiled reassuringly and continued on into the house.

* * *

On the first night when she'd stayed with Daryl, she'd been pointed in the direction of Beth's bedroom when someone mentioned Claire staying there, so it wasn't too difficult to find. Maggie was talking quietly to her sister when Grace walked into the bright bedroom.

"It's going to be alright. It had to be done see, wasn't right to leave them like that. Mom and Shawn, they're better off now. In a better place... Oh." Maggie looked up, startled by the light knock on the door.

"Sorry," Grace whispered. "Carol said you wanted to see me." It was better to just ignore what she had just heard. There would be nothing worse than embarrassing the other woman by acknowledging confessions clearly not meant for her ears.

"Patricia's locked up in her room, Dad's gone who knows where." Her voice was laced with bitterness. "I can't deal with this crap!"

"How's Beth?"

Maggie shrugged, looking down at her sister, the tense shell breaking for a moment. "She's just... I don't know what to do."

Grace took a step into the room, closing the door behind her. "Mind if I check her over?" Maggie shook her head and Grace walked the rest of the way to the bed.

Beth was pale, quiet, and lying perfectly still, with her eyes unfocused but directed at the ceiling. The older Green was squeezing her sister's hand tightly, staring down at her face. Carefully she brushed a loose strand of blonde off her sister's cheek. The girl didn't even flinch. Without equipment of any sort, Grace ran through the things she could do to check the girl and what she could do to help her. Hershel kept all the medical supplies locked up in his office though. Without him, she was limited.

Maggie was frowning down at her sister, "Beth, hon, Grace is here to see you. She wants to check you out." And still Beth didn't move.

Hoping to get some sort of reaction from the teenager and provide at least a little comfort to her sister, Grace spoke softly to the girl as she picked up her free wrist. "Hey Beth, it's Grace. Do you remember me? I'm just going to do a couple of simple tests to try and find out what's wrong."

* * *

"What's wrong with her?" Rick frowned as he pulled a lacy nightgown from the cardboard box sitting on Hershel's bed.

"She's blocking everything out. No reactions. My best guess is shock but who can tell." Grace shrugged, "Could be PTSD, she might be cationic. She's dehydrated so I hooked up an IV but other than that, it'll be wait and see. All I know is she's not bit or scratched and she just lost her step-mother for a second time. It would be nice if her father were to get his ass back here from where ever he took off to."

Shane gave a snort and picked up a picture frame from the dresser. "Yeah where is our man Hershel any way?" Lori glared and Shane slunk back a step.

"These are you stepmother's things?" Rick dropped the fabric again, gazing around the room warily.

Maggie nodded, "He was so sure she'd recover and they'd just pick up where they left off."

"Looks like he found an old friend." Shane lifted a flask that had been tucked behind the frame. "Guessing this ain't Annette's."

"That was my grandfather's." The oldest Greene pursed her lips at the bottle.

Staring at Rick, Shane gave the metal a shake and the last drops of liquid hit the sides. He tossed the flask to his friend, who caught it and passed it off to Maggie. "I didn't take Hershel for a drinker." Rick questioned and Maggie stared down at the flask in her hand.

"He gave it to my dad when he died. Daddy gave it up the day I was born. He didn't even allow liquor in the house."

"Well he must have had a stash then." Grace pointed to the flask, "and if that's empty then he's gone looking for more."

"Drinkin' away his troubles," Shane shook his head. Just what we need."

Rick gave his friend a glare before turning back to Hershel's daughter. "What's the bar in town?"

"Hatlan's." Maggie's jaw was clenched now, her fingers white around the metal. "He practically lived there in his drinking days."

"That's where we'll find him," Rick sounded certain.

Glenn jumped right into the conversation from his ringside seat. "I've seen the place. I'll take you."

"Alright," Rick started towards the door. "I'll get the truck." Glenn moved to follow him but Maggie stepped in the way.

"After what happened at the pharmacy?" The woman hissed with shock. She seemed almost hurt that Glenn would want to leave and more than a little worried at the prospect of the Asian man going into town. "No."

"It's an easy run," Glenn insisted, trying not to be too forceful with Maggie. He was used to going on runs, it would bruise his ego the same way that not being able to take watch while he was injured had hurt Daryl. They both needed to be useful, to help contribute. Seeing Glenn's torn look between pleasing this woman and keeping himself happy made Grace grin a little to herself. The poor guy had it bad. Really bad.

Seeming to sense Glenn's dilemma Rick leaned back, resting a gentle hand on Maggie's arm. "Hey Maggie," he reassured, "I'll bring him back." He gave her a serious look before actually leaving the room, headed to get Otis's truck to make the trip into town.

Lori made a sound very similar to a growl and charged out of the room after Rick. Grace rolled her eyes. Leave it to Lori to need to voice her opinion and get in the way. At least Maggie was sort of justified in her concerns, she had little experience with the walkers. She couldn't understand that with proper observation of safety, Glenn would be just fine. That the only reason the pharmacy had gone wrong was because Maggie hadn't been aware of what to look for. If she was worried about walkers it was a step in the right direction. She could be swayed to understand that they weren't just sick people.

* * *

Grace found herself sitting with Maggie and Andrea next to Beth's bed. Jimmy had finally found his way inside and was nervously pacing the floor. While she was there to support the family, she didn't want to move forward with extreme treatment, worried that the nervous energy was only going to work Beth up further. Instead she simply sat and read while occasionally checking the teenager's vitals. She didn't need the nervousness and fussing as it would only encourage her distress.

"Andrea," Grace finally said after the twelfth time she seen her check Beth's temperature with the back of her hand. "Can you take Jimmy and go to the well? I want to run Beth a cool bath but we need to boil the water all first and then wait for it to cool."

Realizing that he had a task to complete, Jimmy nodded eagerly. He stepped over to the bed and leaned down to brush his lips across the blonde's forehead. Beth didn't react but he smoothed her hair down anyway and whispered that he'd be back. Looking up expectantly at Andrea, he straightened.

"Yeah, we'll go." Andrea sighed. She passed the cloth she was holding to Maggie and Maggie smoothed it over Beth's skin once more.

When it was just the three of them in the room, Grace turned to Maggie and gestured that they should leave the room without making a sound. Maggie followed Grace reluctantly into the adjoining bathroom and Grace closed the door behind them. "What's going on?"

Grace bit her bottom lip and tried as slowly as possible to explain, "I don't want you to take this the wrong way," she gritted her teeth, "but you need to stop acting like she's on her deathbed."

The dark haired girl gasped and Grace tried to backtrack.

"She's not sick like that, I promise. No bites or scratches. She's just having trouble processing everything that's going on and it's kicked her body into a defensive state."

"So you're saying that us fussing over her isn't doing her any good?"

"Well, no..." The tone Maggie was using didn't exactly loan itself to a pleasant conversation about what was happening. "But I know you're not trying to hurt her. You're worried about her and your dad and Glenn but Beth is the only one here to care for. You just need to slow it down and not so many guests in the room. I'd like to leave for a little bit myself. It can be just you and your sister unless you need something, then I'll be happy to help. Keep her cooled down but don't hover. Maybe try reading out loud? There looks to be a lot of books in the house. Find something you think she'd like. Hopefully once she relaxes her body will stop perceiving danger."

"But her heart is racing."

"I think she's just having a sort of panic attack. She's freaking out over everything that's going on and not processing well. We just need to keep her calm and comfortable until she wakes up. Then I'll be better able to assess her. Just act calmly around her for now. I want to see if it will help and it definitely can't hurt. I'll give her a sedative before I go to help settle her but it would be best if you calmed down as well." Grace was trying to use her more reassuring voice but she couldn't help but still be a little worried. There was no change in Beth and if she didn't start showing improvement soon, Grace was going to have to come up with another plan really quickly. "I'll be outside helping with the clean up if you need me. Lori or Andrea should be able to find me no problem."

Maggie nodded, seeming to not really know how to respond. Since that morning her entire body seemed to have deflated. Her clothes were suddenly baggy, her posture slumped, the skin under her eyes purpling with stress. "Do you think they're okay out there?" She didn't mean the group out in the yard burning bodies.

"Glenn will be fine." Grace's expression softened. "Rick does a good job keeping an eye on things. They'll watch each other's backs."

"Lori seemed..."

"She's always worried." Grace rolled her eyes. "She'll make herself sick the same way that Beth is if she keeps it up." _And she'll lose the baby, s_he thought, but Grace couldn't add that. Somehow that was still a secret that had been closely kept. Hershel wouldn't tell his daughters that information even if Rick had used it to try and gain some leverage so they could stay on the farm a little longer.

The other woman looked sick to her stomach still and Grace found herself reaching across the bathroom and offering her open arms to her. Maggie collapsed against her shoulder whimpering, trying to fight back the tears. Her words were muffled but Grace could make out bits and pieces. "...glad they did it...right thing to do...shouldn't have left them...no way to be..."

* * *

T-Dog and Shane were sitting around the burning pile of bodies when Grace got there. The smell had died down a little, but the aroma of charred and rotted flesh still faintly hung in the air. She had to fight back covering her mouth, choosing instead to swallow down the bile at the back of her throat and take shallow breaths.

"Where's Daryl?" Grace questioned.

Shane shrugged but T-Dog stabbed the end of the pitchfork he was holding into the pile. "Off with his fucking brother."

"Merle causing trouble again?"

"Stirrin' up old shit is all." T-Dog rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't get to me still but it does."

"He doesn't mean it..." She started to defend Merle but was cut off with a grunt of disapproval.

"Oh he does," Shane butted in, "you should know that better than most of us, having to deal with him all these years. I'd figure you'd be the last one jumpin' in to protect Merle."

Grace found herself laughing at the truth in Shane's words. She'd seen Merle come down a lot from the wild man he'd once been. There wasn't as much venom behind anything he said, not so much bite to his words. "Where'd they go?" She couldn't be bothered to fight about Merle when there wouldn't be any defending him to Shane or T-Dog. They'd both formed their opinions and wouldn't be swayed by the little changes the older Dixon was making. They didn't have the connection that years of history brought. He was still a liability to them the same way that barn full of walkers was to the group.

The former sheriff's face narrowed into a glare. "At that ol' ruin where Merle was campin'. Not helpin' here."

That was an out and out attack. Grace found herself glaring back at Shane. "How many people does it take to watch a pile burn? You two seem to be handling it alright on your own. They're probably waiting for Glenn and Rick to get back so we can figure out if we're leaving or not."

"We ain't leavin' now!" Shane snapped.

Grace just rolled her eyes, "What's there to stay for here? They don't want us here and that's not our fault, is it? Someone had a hand in helping Hershel with that problem. I'd start watching yourself more closely, Shane. If you don't check that attitude, it won't be Merle you've got to complain about. We'll all have to ask you to leave."

* * *

Grace found Merle and Daryl sitting on the stone foundation checking their weapons just where Shane had said they would be. They were relaxed into a quiet rhythm, passing things between themselves and sharing a bottle of beer. Daryl was making arrows from a pile of long sticks he must have collected. Merle had his gun taken to pieces and spread out on a greasy towel. Grace didn't know anything about the weapon other than how to fire it and that it needed regular maintenance. It was reassuring to know that they were being taken care of even if she hadn't seen it happen before. She made a note to ask Daryl to show her what to do with the gun when they had a moment. Along with knowing how to shoot the thing, she should be able to clean it just in case anything did happen.

"Rick back yet?" Merle brought the bottle to his lips and leaned back.

"Not yet. It'll be dark soon though."

"His bitch came by 'bout an hour ago. Tried to get us to go lookin' for him. Tol' her Rick could handle hisself and to go make herself useful. What've ya been doin' all afternoon anyway? Still nursin' tha kid?"

"Beth," Grace offered and Daryl nodded.

"She's sick, Merle," Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother.

Merle gave his brother a crooked grin, "Shouldn't matter none ta us. She ain't our problem. Thought we were headin' out today. I want outta Satan's Bed and Breakfast."

Daryl gave his brother a dirty look and responded with exasperation. "Tol' ya, we'll figure things out when Rick gets back wit' tha Doc."

"Then can jus' meet us there!" Merle pointed out. "Them folk can drive jus' like we can. Plenty of cars."

"We'll figure it out when Rick gets back," Grace stubbornly agreed with Daryl. "I'm not leaving until this mess gets sorted out. I want Rick to talk with Shane before anything else goes wrong. And that's his place, not yours, Merle. So don't go getting any ideas!"

"Like I wanna talk ta 'Roid Rage. Nope, I'm jus' waitin' fer him ta fuck up an' get hisself killed so we don't gotta tiptoe through the tulips 'round him."

"Don't start trouble," she sighed. Merle was a lot of bark but his bite wasn't to be messed with either. If he started something with Shane, he'd finish it. Even if that meant one or both of them ending up seriously injured - maybe worse. "You coming into the house for dinner when it's done?"

"Guess so." Daryl gave a noncommittal roll of his shoulders.

"Ain't like we got food out here," his brother pointed out. "Jus' tell us when it's ready. Send the girl out when it's done if ya don't wanna come back out all this way yerself."

Grace sent a withering look in Merle's direction but he just grinned back. She snorted in response, already starting to walk away. "She's not carrier pigeon."

"Bird'd be a hell of a lot more useful. 'Least we could eat tha bird when it outstayed its welcome!"

Was it any wonder that Merle butted heads with most of the group when he talked the way he did? He might have settled down to mostly harmless teasing and only slightly offensive language but he still knew just the wrong thing to say at exactly the wrong time. Grace waited for the quiet "umph" and responding smack that meant Daryl had cuffed his brother and Merle had punched him back. She fought back the bubble of laughter as the two scuffled behind her, still very much like small children.

* * *

In the end, Grace did send Claire out to get the boys but only because she was helping Carol and Andrea set up the table. Patricia had finally stopped crying and seemed embarrassed by the scene she'd put on. Her and Maggie had been taking turns sitting with Beth and reading out loud from a rapidly dwindling stack of the teen's magazines. Her pulse wasn't so rapid anymore and since the IV had been put in she no longer seemed so pale. Grace was still waiting for the snap back to reality but the little blonde was probably on the mend.

Jimmy and Claire were both worried though and the others tried their best to keep them occupied with chores. It wouldn't do to have them getting over-excited and working Beth up in the process. When she was awake and stable, then they could visit. Until then it was regular updates and limited interaction with the other girl. Claire seemed to take it well enough, quietly accepting her new chores and completing them promptly. Jimmy on the other hand was sullen. He spent most of his time sulking and mucking out the stalls. It was safer keeping him in the barn where at least he couldn't sneak in without someone noticing them.

He was let back into the house for supper though and as they all began to gather, Carol looked around and noticed that Lori hadn't joined them.

"Have you seen Lori?" She asked to Andrea and Grace who were putting dishes on the table. "I don't want her to miss the meal."

"Back bedroom?" Andrea offered. That was the room where Carl had slept when he was too injured to move out of the house and his mom sometimes napped there during the day when she got tired or stressed out. "Maybe she fell asleep."

"Lori?" Carol started toward the hall but Maggie stopped her.

"She's not back there." Maggie had been keeping track of gathering everyone for dinner.

"What'd you mean she's not back there? Where is she?" There was a slightly frantic note in Carol's voice. "She asked me to watch Carl. I thought she must have been tired."

"She does lay down most afternoons." Andrea agreed.

"Crap!" Grace stood suddenly, "Has anyone seen her since this afternoon?"

"Carl?" Shane asked as if the boy was responsible for keeping track of his flighty mother.

Carol shook her head, "He's been with me and Sophia all afternoon. We haven't seen her."

"Well then where is she?" He retorted.

Grace found herself standing in front of Merle and Daryl who were both sitting awkwardly in the living room and waiting for dinner to start so they could go back outside. "What exactly did she say to you?"

Daryl's eyes went wide, "Somethin' 'bout goin' af'er Rick."

"Wanted us ta fetch him for her is more like it." Merle snorted at Lori's attempt to push the brothers around. "Like we was gonna go fer that."

Grace nodded but more to herself than Merle. Turning around to face the rest of the group, she crossed her arms. "She went after them."

"What?" Carol gasped, "No, that would be... Well it would be stupid."

Shane tossed his napkin down on the table. "Damn it!" He pushed his chair away from the table with the backs of his knees. "I'll go after her."

"Shane, wait!" Andrea protested but he was already gone, storming out of the house and grabbing the gun he'd left sitting beside the front door. Quickly the adults stood to follow him.

"Be back 'fore long." He called behind him, hopping into the Hyundai. The car flew out of the driveway before anyone could say anything to stop him.

"Well that was unexpected..." Dale shifted his weight as he stood on the porch.

"How did no one see her?" Andrea cast an accusing glare around the room.

"First of all, she probably didn't want to be seen." Grace started, only to be interrupted.

"And you were watching Carl!" She pointed at Carol. "When she didn't come see him, why didn't you ask around?"

"Prol'ly 'cause she's always leavin' her kid." Merle raised an eyebrow. "Stupid bitch wants to take off 'thout tellin' anyone, that ain't our business. Can we eat now?"

A small whine at the doorway alerted them to Carl listening in on their conversation. Claire stood nervously behind with Sophia.

"S'my mom out there?" The little boy questioned. Grace raised her eyebrows at Claire and the girl shrugged as if to say, "I tried to stop him."

"Shane'll get your mom back." Andrea offered up unhelpfully, talking down to the boy as if he didn't know what was wrong. As if he didn't realize just what could happen.

"She's probably dead. My dad too. I heard you talking." Angrily the boy rubbed at his eyes, the skin on his cheeks flushing.

"Carl," Grace stepped in between. What he needed no wasn't lies and false hope. He needed a harsh reality. "Shane's gone to try and find you mom. If he finds her, he'll bring her back. If for whatever reason they don't come back, look around." Widely she gestured to the room, the people in it. "We're family Carl. If something goes wrong, we're all here. Until then, I need you to be brave. We're going to go back into the dining room, sit down, and have dinner. So no worrying until we have proof that something went wrong. Do you understand me?"

Carl sniffed and stuck out his bottom lip but he nodded his head.

"Good, now come help me and Sophia carry the food out from the kitchen."

* * *

Carl worried all through dinner. It was easy to see from how he was fidgeting and fighting to keep from staring out the door that he wasn't comfortable with waiting for the return of his parents and Shane. It broke Grace's heart to watch his suffering. After everything that had happened to him already, what right did his mother have to leave her son without so much as a backward glance? Lori was acting selfish. Sure they would have tried to stop her if she had told them what she was doing but maybe someone could have gone out. It was a wonder that Carl didn't end up with abandonment issues with how often his parents took off on him.

That wasn't even taking the baby into account. She hadn't been running at peak performance, what with throwing up nearly everything she ate on top of the poor nutrition they were all already suffering. Any trouble she ran into had a good chance of being too much for her. Not taking backup was a stupid move and all the guns were supposed to be locked up with Dale. If Lori did have a firearm, she'd stolen it, but the idea of taking one probably didn't cross her mind. She may have taken one of the knives or maybe even a machete but it took a lot more strength to go through a skull than Grace had ever thought. Who knew if Lori would be able to wield a blade with enough effort to destroy the brain.

It made her think of Beth, lying there in her bedroom, unaware of the world around her. Her father god knows where. What was it with people and running away from their children. Didn't they realize just how precious family was? Just what they'd been given? The opportunity that the universe had provided for them in giving them this other life to care for? And yet they chose to run from it. To leave their children and continuously put themselves at risk.

Grace found herself pacing the sitting room as she waited for everyone else to finish dinner. Her stomach had been too upset to eat much. People missing. People gone out to find them. People abandoning their children. Hershel. Rick and Glenn. Lori. Shane.

Rick was one thing. He's gone with Glenn to try and fix Hershel's mistake. The bastard of an old man gone off to find liquor when his daughters needed him on the farm. It was his fault that they had to watch their friends and family rot away slowly for weeks on end, his fault they'd held on to false hope, his fault that they'd seen them gunned down en masse and now it was his fault that they were alone to deal with it.

"You're going to wear a hole through the floor," Carol smiled softly from where she'd curled up in an armchair in the corner of the room. "Come sit." She patted the sectional net to her, marking her book with a scrap of paper.

Had there been anyone else in the room, Grace wouldn't have liked that Carol so easily pointed out Grace's anxiety. They were alone in the room though and the offer seemed innocent enough. She sighed, complying with the request and flopping heavily into the worn fabric, her elbows resting on her knees and her hands finding her face.

"It's rough waiting, but they'll be alright." Carol didn't seem to realize that the mix of emotions Grace was feeling had little to do with waiting for the safe return of their group members and more to do with the people they'd left behind. "We'll figure out what we're going to do once they're back. I'm just hoping there's not a split about who stays and who leaves. I can't imagine us all not being together. After all we've been through..."

"After all we've been through, she should have known better!" Grace spat, letting her control slip for just a moment and allowing the venom in her stomach to ooze into her voice. "She should be here. They should both be here with their kids. With their families!" Suddenly she found herself fighting back angry tears. "How could they just walk away like that?"

Carol exhaled, her forehead creasing with concern. "I don't know. When Sophia-_when you and Sophia_-were gone all I could think about was finding her, what she was doing, had she eaten, where was she sleeping, was she safe, were you there to protect her, was she alone? It consumed me."

"Lori nearly lost Carl not a week ago."

"She's not handling it very well. One minute she's babying him and refusing to let him out of her sight, the next it's as if just looking at him reminds her of what she could have lost. I think she panicked that she could be losing Rick as well now. It hasn't been so long since he was dead to her."

That made Grace snort, "And her son's near death experience isn't important? He keeps losing his parents. That hurts. I can remember how much it gutted me to watch my mom dying of cancer. I was too young when my dad died but I still think about it sometimes. I can't even imagine what he's going through. He's old enough to know the risks but not really to understand. He's caught in the middle. He needs them still."

Carol ran a hand down Grace's back, rubbing slow circles to relieve the tension the other woman was carrying. "We just gotta be there for him."

"It shouldn't be us though. Lori should be here!"

"She not though," Carol's hand stopped. "You told that boy not to worry. You told him that we were family and we'd be there for him. Are you going back on that?"

"No," Grace clenched her jaw.

"Is it his fault what his parents do?"

"Never."

"Then don't take it out on him." Carol's stern look softened. "Maggie said you wanted her to read to Beth and she was going through some of the books in the library. Said there might be something for the kids to read if they got bored. Why don't you take the kids to find something to read before bed? It'll take your mind off of things and theirs."

* * *

Carol was right. After picking out a stack of books and carrying them out to Sophia and Carol's tent, they'd snuggled under the blankets to fight off the cold. They took turns passing the book between them. Carol even came in the read for a few pages before stepping back out of the tent to talk with Andrea. She had given Grace a pointed look that said they were all getting concerned over how late it was and how long Shane had been gone.

Grace had found herself dimming the light as Sophia and Carl both slowly started to drift off. She kept reading, even as their eyes closed and the two children sunk deeper into their sleeping bags. There hadn't been talk of where Carl was sleeping if his parents didn't return but by the looks of things he'd be staying in the tent rather than the house tonight. They looked far too comfortable to move. Sophia had her doll wrapped up in her arms and Carl had stolen the extra pillows to curl around. His mouth twitched in his sleep, forming a quick grimace before the tiny wrinkles smoothed out again.

Even as the children slept, she kept reading. Bookmarking where they had left off and she focused harder on the words, which were starting to swim before her eyes. She yawned, flipping the page once again, trying to stay awake. Grace was tired. After everything that happened today she wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep for a week, preferably somewhere well secured.

Outside the tent, quiet footsteps and the whisper of fabric rubbing together broke through the rhythmic breathing of the children. The tent zipped rasped loudly and Grace's hand shot out for the gun she'd left resting on the foam bedroll beside her. From where she was laying on her stomach, it was easy to see the tent flap and Grace pulled the gun closer just in case.

The moment the ruffled hair poked through the door though, she relaxed. "Hey." Grace smiled softly at Daryl.

"'ey," he grunted back, squinting at the sleeping kids. "They out?"

"Yeah, I've just been reading. Might go to bed soon."

"Lori's back. An' Shane." Daryl chewed on his thumb, staring hard at the children with a mixed expression that Grace couldn't quite read.

"I'll come out and see them then. We'll leave these two to sleep," she stretched, closing the book and wrapping her blanket around her shoulders a little tighter. As Grace stood and stepped out of the tent, Daryl held the flap for her. He kept watching her as he closed the tent, straightening up only to stare down at her, his eyes slits, his jaw clenched.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nothin'," Daryl stretched out his hand and brushed her hair behind her ear. His lips quirked up in a genuine attempt at a smile. "Jus' glad ya ain't stupid."

"Oh that's nice to hear," She half-laughed.

"Ya know what I mean," He frowned, the rough pad of his thumb catching on her cheek. "Jus' happy ya are who ya are, ya know?"

"I know," she responded, reaching up the cover the fingers stroking her skin with her own. Grace rubbed her cheek against his palm and smiled at him. Leaning her head up, she subtly hinted and Daryl gave her a quick kiss in response. He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. Grace found her eyes closed as she just breathed in the smell of wood and cigarette smoke, enjoying Daryl. "I love you." She tested, breathing it out softly. The words were still so raw and new that she wasn't sure how Daryl would take them.

He grunted, leaning to catch her mouth again, tongue licking her lips then retreating. "Mmmm." He mumbled against her, pulling her into him and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "We should go. Ya can get some sleep then."

"Come to bed with me?" She asked, snuggling into his shirt as they turned toward the driveway. "Please?" It was sort of a low dig to pout but she found herself wanting comfort. There were still three of their group out there and who knew what condition Lori and Shane were in.

"Can't," Daryl shook his head quickly, "Got watch. I'll come in af'er. Prol'ly wake ya up when I get inta the truck."

"Probably. Wake me up if I don't though? That way I know you're alright."

He nodded, pressing his face against this side of her head. "Love ya too, huh?"

"I know," She smiled, leaning into him a little harder.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

_A year and eight months since the call. How quickly the time seemed to have gone past and yet it seemed like only yesterday that Grace was sitting in the waiting room of Bobby's office building to tell him that she needed to go home. That her mom had cancer and she was leaving Atlanta to spend the weekend with her._

_A year and six months since she moved back into her mother's house, into her childhood room, her new furniture too big for the space. A year and a half since she unpacked her things and settled back into the routine of her hometown; familiar streets, teenage grocery store clerks that she'd babysat for and the ladies at church who used to change her diapers. Her world narrowed down to a population of 1,500 give or take a few dozen doctors, nurses and specialists for out of town doctor's appointments._

_She had a year and three months longer than the doctors' first prediction. They had been so sure that the pneumonia on top of the cancer treatments would have been the end. They had two hospital Christmases though, the last one only three short months ago. There was a small cactus on the kitchen table marking the occasion. All the flowers were in her house now. Little potted plants and arrangements wishing a speedy recovery. The ones now weren't so cheerful. The sickening smell of cut flowers, starting to wilt the moment they were trimmed._

_The past five months the plants had been getting fewer and further between. After the first year, cancer became routine. The questions came less often and with the casual air of "looks like rain today and how are your mother's treatments going?" There were the lies, the ones she told everyone and the ones she told herself. Twenty months of false smiles and lies._

"_We're waiting to hear back from General but the initial signs are good."_

"_They're talking about sending her home for the weekend. We'll be in church on Sunday. She's excited to see everyone again."_

"_Her lungs are looking better. Not so much fluid."_

"_This really is for the best. She's getting the care she needs."_

"_She rests a lot. They're managing the discomfort well. I couldn't be more grateful for everything."_

"_It seems like a good day today. Mom likes to sit in the green room. She loves the plants there. It's so nice that they offer that to the patients. It really seems to help."_

_But what was a glass room filled with greenery when outside the reality was a cold, cold winter? It was a lie and in the end, the truth would hit hard._

_Eleven months ago, the doctors had convinced her and her mom to sit down with a booklet called, 'Next Steps: Funeral Planning for Terminally Ill Patients'. There had been spaces for hymns and verses. Casket selection and burial garb. Open casket or closed. Cremation or burial. The pall-bearers. Who was going to speak. What church the service would be held at. Who would manage the wake. They'd even taken Grace aside and had her create a plan for informing the distant relatives of her mother's passing. That was the beginning of the end. Not that they had known it then. Her mother had recovered, come home for another six months before plummeting downhill._

_They'd had four more months at home before it was decided that hospital care was probably the best term of action. Then one month of hospital before a hospital stay became one in a hospice. The last of Grace's meager savings went to pay for a private room. The space was cramped, the pale blue paint and heavy plastic curtains distorting the view of the park and gardens. Had she made it until spring, her mother would have seen flowers blooming and the garden coming back to life._

_Instead she'd had vases and pots on every available surface, making up for the slow decline in visitors. After so long, visits got forgotten, pushed aside for more pressing matters. Biweekly visits become weekly, weekly became monthly and pretty soon you just didn't see them anymore._

_There had been a few constant companions. Winston and Elaine Williams. Mary-Kathrine Gary, Susan Peters, and the rest of her mom's church group. Amber, Becky, and her other close home friends. Jen and Vanessa from college kept up with things and Jen had visited just a few weekends ago. Most of her work friends from Atlanta had forgotten her. The phone calls and cards from relatives had mostly stopped after the yearly Christmas cards and New Years well wishes. It was not that they didn't care, the cancer was just old news and with the diagnosis so grim, most people would rather be kept in the dark._

_In the end it was better to be alone. They'd made all the arrangements beforehand. Her mother was brain dead. In all senses of the words she was dead-dead except for the machines that still pumped her blood, filled her lungs, and kept her heart beating. On the selfish side of things it was too expensive to keep the machines going. On the compassionate one, her mother had suffered enough and it was time for her to be at peace. They'd called everyone earlier in the week. Family and friends, old work buddies, and distant cousins had all known by Thursday night that if they'd wanted to say goodbye, there was a time limit._

_The past ninety-six hours had gone by so quickly that Grace couldn't even remember the funeral. Her house had been packed of relatives as early as Friday night. Those that were close enough to drive in, did so as soon as she started calling. It should have been comforting but it just felt like they were infecting her. Every nook and cranny had people in it. Those that didn't fit in the house were staying at the Motel 6 on the highway._

_Her fridge and freezer were so full of food that Amber had taken some of it to her house to put in her deep freezer. There was even a fruit basket on her nightstand for god's sake, probably put there by one of her well-meaning aunts who didn't seem to understand that she just needed some space. Already the guests were starting to leave though. The few that were staying over until Monday morning were in hotels. Her house was growing quieter and quieter. Just her Aunt Pam and Uncle Joey were still wandering around. They only lived forty-five minutes away and Pam was too busy arranging condolence cards and making lists of people to send out thank-yous to be persuaded to leave before she needed to._

_It had been one year and eight months since her life started to spiral downward._

_As Grace lay on her back in the middle of her bed she noticed that a second light bulb had gone out in her ceiling lamp. There were two burned out now. Another one and she'd be in the dark. She'd been meaning to replace the one for such a long time but now it just seemed to not be worth the effort it would take to get up, leave her bedroom, and risk having to talk to her aunt and uncle. She'd do it once they left or maybe in the morning. In the past few days she'd woken up far too early. It would give her something to do at four thirty when she felt too restless to sleep._

"_Grace?" A gentle knock on her door and the sound of Pam's voice made her jump._

"_Yes, Aunt Pam?"_

"_That boy's here to see you again."_

_Daryl. He'd been so good to her in the past week, sticking close even though her hoard of relatives disturbed him. He'd taken the awkward questions, curious stares, and confused looks with his chin up for the most part. After the funeral itself he'd vanished into the crowd, barely pulling her aside for a moment to tell her that he was leaving. Too many people crammed into the little box of her childhood home. Grace had understood. She wanted to leave with him. It would have been easier to run than to stick around and make small talk about how great her mother was and how sad it was that she was dead now._

"_Come in."_

_The door creaked open slowly, Daryl's head just barely peeking between the crack. "Hey."_

"_Hey," she mumbled back, pulling herself halfway up to sit with her back against the headboard._

"_Holdin' up?"_

"_I guess."_

"_Uncle Joey and I are going to head out now, sweetie." Her aunt pushed into the room, past Daryl, and right to the bed. She leaned down over Grace frowning a little. "You call us if you need anything, ya hear?"_

"_Thanks," Grace tried a wavering smile._

"_I'll be back on Thursday alright? Help you clean up things."_

"_Okay." Her aunt seemed to be lingering so Grace added, "I'll be fine. Just go."_

"_Alright," Her aunt frowned deeper and rested a hand on Grace's shoulder. "Take care of yourself."_

"_I will."_

"_Alright," Aunt Pam repeated, lifting her hand and giving Grace light pat. She leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Call me." Quietly she slipped out of the room._

_Daryl had taken up residence against the dresser. He'd picked up a tube of mascara and twirled it between his fingers until they heard the door shut. "She's nosey."_

_Grace gave a snort of startled laughter. "Yup. She's always been like that though."_

"_Ain't even gonna repeat what she said to me."_

"_I probably don't want to hear it."_

"_Nah," he took two steps toward the bed and hesitated. He'd been in her room plenty of times. He'd never done it when her mom was staying there, a Dixon sort of respect, but since her mom had been admitted to the hospice, he'd been spending a lot more nights with her. It was comforting, waking up to a warm solid frame in the middle of the night. She'd always gotten back to sleep much easier when he was there. The same could be said for the nights she slept at his trailer. Somehow she just slept better in general when he was near._

_Dropping lightly on the mattress, Daryl twisted to rest next to her against the pillows. His arms came up to fold behind his head, far more relaxed now that the house was empty except for them. He didn't move as she rolled over to him, only slid an arm down to clasp her shoulders and pull her tighter to his body. Grace rested against his chest, following the rise and fall of his breathing. Suddenly she felt like crying, the itching of fresh tears at the backs of her eye sockets. She hadn't much all weekend. Mostly she just felt too tired to, as if actually letting go of tears would exhaust her completely._

"_Came home from school an' there were cops in my driveway." Daryl's voice startled her so much that she almost didn't catch his words. She kept quiet, not quite sure of how to respond to the random statement. "Driver wouldn't let me outta my seat 'til he talked to the cops." He sighed, shifted his arm and continued. "They took me down ta the station. Tol' me ta play quietly in this room. I'd heard though. I heard every word sittin' right behind the driver like I was. That bastard always sat me there ta keep an eye on me. No one said nothin' ta me though. They brought in a counselor to talk to me. Someone from children's services or some shit. Took me to a foster home. Had dad in lock-up 'cause he was so wasted and they couldn't get a good story out of him. They all knew though, 'least they guessed something was wrong."_

_He didn't need to explain what story he was telling. Daryl was pretty quiet about his childhood but it was common knowledge around town that his father was abusive. The rumors varied from there. Something she'd picked up from accidental admissions that he'd tried to cover up._

"_There weren't barely anyone at the funeral. Couple of family members. No one wanted me. Merle was crashed on his friend's couch. Anytime anyone got close he'd bolt so they didn't take him in too. I wore a suit. First time ever."_

_Grace nodded, rubbing circles on his stomach as encouragement. She couldn't say anything for fear he'd stop talking. She wanted to hear._

"_It smelled. Not bad or anything, just strange. Belonged to tha kid uh the house I was stayin' at. Good people. Treated me well. I was mad when the worker tol' me Pa was gettin' custody back. Coulda stayed with 'em forever. Didn't. Pa was sober when they dropped me off. House was clean. Think my aunt did it. She weren't there when I got home though. Jus' me an Pa. He got the bottle out quick once the worker pulled outta the driveway. It started with him glaring, then he got mouthy, then he was all an out shoutin' at me. Made me take off my new shoes. They'd bought 'em for me an' Dixons don' take charity. Threw 'em out into the yard. Started slappin' me, boxin' muh ears. Did this," he pointed to his chest where Grace knew a large jagged scar was, "an' couple uh others. Passed out af'er a while. When Merle came home he found me curled up in tha broom closet. I'd taped a towel on it with electrical tape ta stop the bleedin'. He dragged Pa onto the couch, patched me up, made me a bowl uh Campbell's chicken noodle, and tucked me inta bed. We didn't talk 'bout Mom. It was like she just up an' vanished."_

"_I'm sorry."_

_Daryl's eyes narrowed like he hadn't expected her to comment on the story. "Me too." He grumbled, voice thick. "Ya eat somethin'? M'sure we could find somethin' half decent in all this food ya got."_

_He brought her into the kitchen and sat her at the table while he rummaged first through her fridge and then through her cupboards. Grace couldn't bring herself to help him. He just seemed so determined to get the food himself, almost like a small child. Maybe it was partly him trying to show her how comfortable he'd become in her life._

_When he set the dishes on the table it was a plate of chicken casserole, not a bowl of Campbell's chicken noodle. The sentiment was there though. "Hey," he said after she'd taken the first few bites. "Ya can talk if ya need to, 'kay?"_

_Grace nodded, "I'm good right now." And took another bite._

"_Right," He gave a stiff shake of his head. "Jus' offerin'."_

_-break-_

The farm was dark, barely enough light to see across the field. It must have been later than she thought because there were no signs of anyone else. Daryl must have still been on watch. She found herself walking out towards the RV but when she got there, no one sat on top. He'd probably gone to do rounds. She waited a few minutes before trying to circle around the farm. She had no way of telling how much longer his watch was. Really she should just go back to the truck and wait.

Up ahead the barn loomed in the dim starlight. It seemed haunting. Dangerous.

"Hello?" She called at the unexpected creaking. "Daryl?"

The barn creaked again, the walls starting to rattle, the chain clanking against the wood.

Why was the door chained shut again? They'd purposely left the doors open to air out the space. It was Shane's idea but it was a smart one. There were hooks on either side that fastened them to the walls so they didn't fly closed. Someone must have locked the barn. But who?

The doors rattled again, seeming to quiver. The hinges protested loudly. The sound echoed across the field. "Daryl?" Grace called again, louder. "Daryl!"

The chain gave way with an ear splitting crash. The doors flying open with enough force to smash them back into the walls. She couldn't see inside because of the shadows in the barn. Suddenly the air was filled with groaning. The first sets of glowing yellow eyes appearing. One by one, the walkers began to step out of the barn. Shambling towards her with lurching steps.

"Oh no!" Grace gasped, turning on her heel and starting to run.

There were more walkers in the stable though. Even more pouring out of the house. The forest was thick with them. It seemed as if the trees themselves were moving towards her.

She found herself screaming as she pushed through the living sea that threatened to engulf her. Sometimes it was pleas for help, other times profanity as she ripped herself free from the grasp of one cold set of cold dead hands, usually only to stumble into another.

There was no escape. The walkers were everywhere now, so thick that she couldn't see in front of her past the rotting skin, sunken eyes and gnashing teeth. Everywhere she turned there was another body, another snarl. "Oh god, Daryl! Help! Please, someone help me! Get off!" She pushed back a walker. "Help! Please, help me! Oh god. Oh god. Oh god."

The crowd seemed to part around her as she ran, staggering against the walls of decaying human flesh. Her foot caught as she ran, the ground rushing up to meet her. A root, maybe a rock or stick had gotten caught on her boot and she came crashing to the ground. The crowd fell on top of her as she rolled over and tried to get back to her feet. The bodies were so thick that she couldn't tell which way was up or down any more. As she pushed forward she came across a solid unmoving wall.

The eyes she looked into were watery, yellowed, and sunken but they were familiar. Her mother stood in front of her. She was wearing a yellow dress. Her head was missing chunks of hair, like they'd been ripped off her scalp. Her tongue lolled, drooling down her shirt and catching on her teeth.

A startled gasp caught in her throat. In the distance someone was screaming. The voice was terrified, feminine, wordless.

Her mother reached down, caught her around the wrists and jerked hard. Grace pulled back, struggling against the restraint.

"Grace!" A voice grunted. "Grace, i's me. Fuck, girl. I's me!"

"Daryl?" Grace stopped thrashing long enough to blink her eyes open. She was in the truck still, the blankets tangled around her and soaked with sweat. The back of the truck was still open and Daryl had his boots on. "Oh god!" she groaned.

"The hell was that?"

"Nightmare."

"Got that much. You were freakin' out when I got here. Surprised no one's runnin' over here tryin' ta figure out what happened." Slowly he released her wrists and pulled her into him. Grace found herself snuggled into his lap. "Jeeze, ya was hollerin'."

"Dreamt the farm got overrun. I was all alone. My mom was there. She was a walker and she was going to eat me."

"Shit..." He gripped the tops of her arms a little tighter. Daryl's hand reached up to stroke her hair. "S'alright now. No walkers. Not lettin' nothin' on this farm." He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to hers. "Shhhh." He soothed, hissing against her skin. "Shhhh, s'alright now."

-break-

Rick, Glenn and Hershel still weren't back by morning. Lori had thrown a temper tantrum when Shane had brought her back to the farm and her husband still wasn't there. It was wrong of Shane to lie but clearly Lori was either hormonal or just plain crazy. She couldn't have brought Rick back by herself if he had run into trouble. Apparently she'd actually brought a gun though, which helped because she'd crashed Maggie's car into a walker and then had to defend herself until Shane picked her up on the side of the road. She'd dissolved into furious tears after her shouting match and lay on the Greene's couch pouting until Carol had convinced her to go to bed. The exhaustion and strain of the night was easy to see on her face. She hadn't even checked in on Carl, who slept soundly through the whole ordeal of his mother coming home. Grace checked Lori over, prescribed a good night's rest and tucked her second Grimes into bed for the night before heading to bed herself.

Grace had woke early the next morning after a restless sleep. Daryl was snoring softly beside her, his arm still around her shoulders. He'd been like that every time she'd woken in the night, often waking with her as she struggled to escape from whatever horrors were chasing her. Several more times she dreamed about her mother as a walker, though that seemed impossible. A few times though she dreamt of being locked in the barn with Sophia and all the walkers they had released. The walkers always got Sophia first who turned and came after her. Once the doors had opened and she'd stumbled forward only to realize that she was a walker and facing the barrel of a gun. Daryl had whispered sorry as he shot her between the eyes.

She had woken to Daryl shaking her awake, with a worried wrinkle between his brows. When she'd told him through sobs about the dream, he'd held her even tighter and kissed the salt water on her cheeks.

Her face was still cushioned on his chest, the smell of him all around her and the soft flannel under her cheek like a security blanket. As carefully as she could, she slipped from his arms and let herself out of the truck. She had to pee something fierce and she didn't feel like going all the way to the house. It was easier to just scoot behind the shed where a hole had been dug and a little seat made. The plastic was cold on her ass and she held her gun in her lap the whole time. Next to the makeshift toilet was a bucket of fresh water and a bowl for hand washing. The soap was rock hard and the water freezing. It was getting too cold for camping. Soon they'd have to be inside somewhere. She just hoped that they'd manage to get into the subdivision before things really got cold.

Carol was up and starting a fire when Grace got back to the circle of tents and cars. "Getting cold in the mornings." She offered as way of greeting.

Grace nodded, "Maggie showed me a handheld coffee grinder inside. She says no one in the house drinks coffee but her stepmom did. She offered us the beans they have and she says we can check the chicken coop for eggs for breakfast."

"That would be amazing." Carol smiled. "Have you been up to see Beth yet?"

"Not yet. Just got up and I wouldn't want Daryl to find me too far from the truck without telling him. I had a rough night sleeping last night and I'm sure he's worried. Not that he'd ever say anything to may face but I try to keep him happy."

The zipper of one of the tents rasped and T-Dog crawled out. "Mornin'." He rasped, rubbing his eyes. "Damn, it's cold out here."

"Grace and I were just saying that," Carol laughed and pulled her sweater a little tighter. "Apparently we can have coffee this morning. That should warm us up."

"I'll say. Gonna go see who's on watch. Save me a cup if ya'll do get some java."

Slowly the rest of the camp began to stir. When Daryl woke, Grace went up to the house to check on Beth. The teenage had fallen asleep sometime the night before and Grace added another small dose of sedative to the IV. Better to keep the girl medicated than have her wake-up in a panic state. Grace had come back to find Carol and the kids getting ready to go get eggs. She'd tagged along, grateful to have something to do. By the time they were back, Merle produced three rabbits to be skinned and gutted. He'd found them running along the far edge of the swamp. They would make a nice stew for dinner.

"I'm goin' af'er Rick." Daryl mumbled when Grace brought him his plate of eggs.

She raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded, more determined this time. "Shane's goin'. And T, and Blondie. Four of us should be able to make it inta town an' back no trouble."

"Alright," She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Stay safe."

Daryl looked shocked for a moment before nodding again and sinking into his chair to eat. There wasn't really any room to protest even though Daryl seemed prepared to accept it. It was a good strong group of capable adults that wanted to go of their own free will. She couldn't act like Lori and take a fit when things didn't go her way. The group needed more stability, not less. They would be safe with each other, everyone in that group would watch out for everyone else. Even Shane seemed quieter than the day before without Hershel around to argue with him or Rick to stir up feelings of betrayal for taking his wife back. He was more like the Shane that had pulled into the driveway at the cabin all those weeks ago.

The group leaving got to preparations for their trip while everyone else cleaned up. Finally awake, Lori slipped from the farm house and joined them. She seemed ashamed by her attitude the night before. Everyone gave her space as Carl spotted his mom for the first time and took off at a run.

"MOM!" He gasped, hugging her tightly.

"Hello Carl. Did you sleep well?"

"I had a sleepover with Sophia in her tent. I was worried though. Why did you leave? Shane could have gotten Dad."

"Carl," Lori scolded her son, looking up to catch Shane's eye. He was watching them closely, holding his rifle to one shoulder.

"It's true!" The boy protested.

"That's enough. Now did you eat breakfast?"

"You too, then. Carol saved you a plate." Carl pointed to a spot at the picnic table where Carol had rested a second camp plate on top of the first to keep the food from getting cold too fast.

Lori nodded. "That was nice of her. I'll eat that and then we can go over some school work. It's been too long since we did lessons.

Carl wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Aw, Mom."

"Don't 'aw, Mom,' me, young man. Go get your books."

The boy scrunched up his face but turned to go toward their car where his school books were being stored. Sophia followed him, talking about how she would do lessons too if he was going to have to do them. Lori watched her son and his friend as they got further and further away. When they were out of hearing distance, she turned and glared around the circle of people surrounding the fire. "Not one word about the baby to him." She hissed. "Not from any of you. Rick and I will tell him when the time is right."

"Ya really think that's a good idea. Kid's gonna hear it from somewhere." Shane probably should have kept his mouth shut. The dark haired woman was already furious, a combination of his lying from the night before and left over disappointment about the most likely paternity of her child.

"Shut your mouth, Shane. I've heard just about enough from you. This is none of your business. NOT ONE BIT!"

"Lori, I think that's enough." Ever the voice of reason, Carol kept her voice even as she stepped towards the other woman. "Let's go in the RV for a bit, hmm?" Carefully she lead Lori away from the fire, shooting Grace a quick look that asked her without saying anything to distract the kids for a little while.

Almost as soon as the RV door was shut, Carl and Sophia returned. Carl dragged his feet through camp for a moment before looking around. "Where's my mom?"

"Went with Carol for a minute," Grace brushed off. "How's about we go into the house and see if we can't get some peaches for them to bring your dad? If he's been out there all night, he might not have gotten anything to eat."

"Okay," Carl quietly agreed. He and Sophia dropped their books on the picnic table and followed Grace toward the farmhouse. They weren't halfway up the driveway though when the sound of tires on gravel made all three turn around.

Grace's face split into a grin as she recognized the truck pulling into the driveway. "Well I'll be."

"Dad?" Carl whispered before breaking into startled laughter much like when his father had climbed out of the box truck back at the quarry. "Dad!" He whooped breaking into a run. The other survivors made their way from camp to the driveway as well, gathering around the vehicle to welcome back the search party. Rick, Glenn. and Hershel seemed exhausted, covered in dried sweat, dust and blood. Carl didn't seem to notice as he grabbed his father in a crushing hug. Rick hugged back with just as much intensity but his eyes scanned the group with nervous tension.

"You're back!" Maggie must have spotted the truck from the house because she seemed to have run the length of the driveway. Her father looked at her with relief but instead the young woman tackled Glenn, who seemed too exhausted to hug her back. Instead he walked toward the RV with a rifle in each hand, almost in a daze.

Lori and Carol appeared from the RV, Lori's face finally relaxed. As Rick greeted his wife, he paused to look over the bruise on her cheek. Quietly the two talked together, mostly likely about the car accident as his eyes went wide with shock and he squeezed her shoulder tightly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Uh, who the hell is that?" T-Dog pointed toward the backseat of the truck.

Behind the glass was a person, hands tied together in his lap and a red blindfold of scrap material covering his eyes. The young man's head was lolled over, either sleeping or passed out. His skin seemed almost grey.

"That's Randall," Glenn sighed.

"We don't know a Randall." Grace pointed out, sarcastically.

"We do now." Rick grimaced. "He was in town with a group. Got hurt. They left him behind for the walkers."

"That's terrible!"

"Which is why he's here," Hershel scowled, walking towards his house. "Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery. Grace, I'd like your help as well."

"What happened to him?" She wondered aloud what everyone else was thinking. "He's not..." Grace clipped her teeth together to illustrate biting.

"Not so far as we can tell," Rick patted Carl on the shoulder. "We'll discuss this once we see how he pulls through surgery."

-break-

There was blood embedded right into the beds of Grace's fingernails. Her skin stained with this strange boy's blood. His leg was repaired though, as best as they were able to given the conditions and the extent of the damage. Grace had never liked surgery, she'd avoided it like poison after she'd finished school. Now as the cool water stung her knuckles she'd found herself almost sick to her stomach. They'd been well over an hour with Randall in the shed. The boy had been given a strong sedative but probably not enough anesthetic. He'd kept flinching, the muscles in his limbs jumping in shock as they tried to repair where the fence had gone through his leg.

Thinking about watching her fingers against his open skin sent another roll of nausea through her. Grace turned, took several big steps to the edge of the forest and as far away from the pump as she could manage. Holding her hair back with one hand, she gagged once, before it finally caught and she emptied her stomach.

What a waste of food.

She was busy wiping her mouth with the back of her hand when a deep voice startled her.

"A'right there Grace?" Shane sauntered around the corner of the shed but he seemed genuinely concerned.

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded wordlessly. It was easier not to talk for risk of bringing everything up again.

"Everything go alright with..."

Grace interrupted Shane with another wave of nausea, throwing up a second time into the low shrubbery at the edge of the woods. "Uh," she protested, the sticky sour taste still stuck in her mouth. Hoping to clear it away she spat thickly into the woods.

"Here," he offered, holding out a small tin cup of water. "Just swish and spit. Ain't been boiled."

"Thanks," she mumbled, taking the cup from him and following instructions. "I should have told Hershel it would make me sick."

"Dunno, think ya'll did pretty okay if ya made it this far." He offered her a crooked grin. "So how's the patient?"

"Still knocked out. We repaired as much damage as we can but Patricia nicked an artery so we had to stitch that too. Hopefully he didn't lose too much blood. If he did," Grace shrugged. "Well let's just hope he's not infected. He's already locked up in the shed so I'd rather not tempt a hoarder."

Shane gave a startled laugh. "S'that what Hershel is?"

"He some sorta crazy keeping the corpses of his family locked up. I'd rather not have to find out just what type. At least hoarding is reasonably harmless."

"'Less it's walkers." He pointed out.

Grace shrugged again. "I guess. We handled them well enough though. Fucking barn of horrors." She took another sip of water and spat it out on the ground angrily. "That's just wrong."

"So is bringin' that boy back here."

She tipped her head to the side and regarded Shane carefully. It was hard sometimes to know where Shane was coming from. He was so good at getting what he wanted out of people. He knew just what buttons to press. "Are you looking for me to agree with you?"

"Well, d'ya think it's right to be using up _our_ medicines on some strange kid who may not even live? That's our stuff. We got it an' we should be the ones to use it."

"We did use it. We used it on Randall. It wasn't stolen."

"Close enough. Kid's not one of us. He's a threat. He's got a group somewhere and they threatened us. Rick told me what the said. Was talkin' 'bout comin' back here to get the women and kids. Take our supplies, our food, our weapons. Do who knows what to you lot."

"But they're not looking for him. As far as they're concerned, Randall was a good as dead. Doesn't that seem like he might be a little pissed at them? Maybe when he wakes up he'll be on our side. He owes us a life debt after all."

Shane snorted. "Like that changes anything. They shoulda just left him there. He wasn't our problem."

"Just like Daryl said about you when you showed up at the cabin? This guy could be just a regular kid who got mixed in with some bad people to survive this crap. We give him the chance to survive without making any judgments. When he wakes up we can talk to him."

"Nah," Shane tossed his head back and forth. "Good guy's gonna tell the truth. Bad guy's gonna lie. No matter what yer gonna get a good story out of him. How life's been rough an' he jus' wants a chance. How are we supposed to tell if he's lying or not? Hmm, gonna hook him up to a lie detector out here?"

Grace closed her eyes slowly, running her fingers through her hair. "Do you like it here Shane?"

"Wha'?"

"I said 'do you like it here'. You seem to be pretty adamant about keeping the group together, not getting separated. All I want to know is if you like it here. Not the farm per se. Here though. With us."

"S'all this about? We ain't talkin' 'bout me. We're talking 'bout the kid." Shane seemed frustrated. He was pacing now. Scuffing his big heavy boots in the dirt and clomping back and forth. "Don't matter none if I 'like it here'."

Grace gave him a soft smile. Her eyes were gentle, concerned. "If you don't shut the fuck up about Randall you're going to destroy what's left of your friendship with Rick." She narrowed her eyes now, more serious. "How much do you want to see your baby?"

"I don't know what you're…"

"Shut-up. Everyone knows. Everyone intelligent that is. Don't you think you're going to have enough trouble seeing that kid grow-up not knowing that you're their biological father? How are you going to feel if you don't get to see that at all? Knowing somewhere out there there's this kid that's yours and you won't ever see them. Wondering if maybe they're hurt, sick, scared, hungry, dead. How are you going to live with yourself then, huh? You need to start watching yourself. You make a lot of stupid choices just because you think you're doing the right thing." Somehow she'd found herself stepping into Shane's space. Usually it was just Merle she mouthed off to like this and she hadn't felt the need to do that in weeks. Here she was though, pressing her finger into Shane's chest. "How about you man the fuck up and stop acting like a spoiled child when things don't go your way. We don't need any more conflict around here!"

"Whoa…" he huffed, taking a step backwards. "Grace?"

"I'm just… I'm tired of all this shit! There's constantly some battle over who's right and who's wrong but you know what? No one fucking knows what's right. We kill things. Things that used to be people. Like real people. And you're busy worrying about not getting your own way? If Randall really is a threat, then we need to stand together. What happens when his crew stumbles on this place? There won't be time for your bullshit. We need you here Shane, on our side. We need strong people willing to do what it takes. We don't need you fighting us every step of the way. You're always implying that you want Merle gone but you know what? He's doing a help of a lot more to not be a burden than you are. I told Merle when he was using drugs that he needed to stop because it put us all in danger and you know what, he did! He's trying and he's pitching in. He hunts, he stands guard, he's even looking after Claire for god's sake. And even though he's still rough as hell around the edges, at least he's trying not to start shit. If you're not helping then you're a burden. How'd you feel about that?"

"Grace?" Shane and Grace both looked up to see Daryl standing beside the shed, his hand already reaching for the gun tucked into his waistband. "Ya'll 'ight."

"I'm fine." Grace took a quick step back out of Shane's personal space. "Just think about that, huh? Think about it!" She hissed, but her voice was hollow. A few more steps and she made her way over to Daryl. Carefully she lifted his hand from his gun and twisted their hands together. "Come on. I want a shower to get this crap off of me."

"Wha' was 'at 'bout?" Daryl kept looking over his shoulder to where Shane was still standing, frozen with shock in the middle of the open space.

"Shane being his usual asshole self." She sighed. "He's upset about Randall."

"Oh," Daryl nodded, mouth set in a hard line. "Merle's pretty pissed off 'bout tha'."

"Just Merle?" Daryl shrugged in response and Grace squeezed his hand. She exhaled, the tension from shouting at Shane easing out of her body. Leaning closer to him she whispered, "I would have left him." She pulled back, frowning a little. "Does that make me a terrible person?"

"Nah, I'dda done tha same. He weren't our problem 'til Rick brought him back here."

"I don't know why Rick's willing to take the risk that this guy could try something." Grace sighed. "I'm covered in this guy's blood and all I can think of is how we're going to make sure he doesn't try to kill us all in our sleep."

"Ya really think I'd let someone kill ya in yer sleep?" Daryl raised an eyebrow and gave her a challenging smile.

"He'd kill you first because you're the bigger threat." Grace shrugged, giving him a light shove. "You're going to have to fight. Save me from the big scary men."

He growled, tugging her against his chest. "Ain't no one allowed to touch you but me." Daryl hand slid into her hair, cupping the back of her head and leaning into her. Gently he rubbed his cheek against hers, the stubble scratching against her skin. "Yer fuckin' mine ya hear?" His teeth caught her earlobe almost harshly, tugging hard then relaxing. The tip of his tongue slid between his teeth, licking the shell of her ear. "Yer mine!" Daryl slid downward, his open mouth hot against her jaw, lips and tongue against her neck, face pressing into her shoulder as he squeezed her too him. "An' Dixon's don't share."

"So I've heard." Grace's stomach jumped up into her throat then settled somewhere below her rib cage but definitely not where it was supposed to be. She found her fingers twisting in the heavy material of Daryl's shirt before she could even be quite sure where this was going. "Dare?"

"Mmm-hmm?" He hummed back against the hollow of her throat.

"Don't you think we should maybe take this inside somewhere? At least to the truck. There's a lotta people around."

Daryl locked up, freezing with tense realization against her. "Shit." He sighed, dropping his head to her shoulder and giving her a squeeze. "Go take yer shower."

"I thought..."

"Yeah so did I, 'til I remembered ya was covered in some guy's blood an' tha' I'm supposed to take watch for Rick so he can talk things through wit' Shane. Guess he's sorta dealt with already though, hmmm." Daryl tipped his head up, peeking at her through the hair flopping in his eyes.

Grace reached up to brush his hair back, her hand settling on his cheek. "Hopefully your watch won't be long then, hmm?" He other hand slid up underneath his shirt. "If you've been managing all this activity around camp then maybe you're up for something a little more vigorous."

Daryl nodded and licked his lips. "Been too fuckin' long." He leaned in a nuzzled her cheek, planting feather light kisses along her jaw. Slowly his hips ground against her, the bulge in his pants beginning to press heavily into her thigh. Daryl jerked back suddenly. "Gotta stop," he sighed. "Go see Rick 'fore I can't think straight anymore."

She smiled, kissing him softly. "I've gotta check over Lori too. After my shower. Didn't see anything more than a couple of good bruises and some pulled muscles but Hershel's letting me into the medical supplies they've got. I'm going to see just what they've got while we have the chance. See you in a bit? I'll bring you something to eat around supper time if you're still on watch."

"Thanks," he nodded again and Grace moved to pull away from him, starting to turn toward the house. At the last second, Daryl caught her wrist turning her sharply towards him. "Love ya, hmm." He grunted, eyes watching her carefully, the thumb of his other working its way between his teeth.

Grace squeezed his hand hard. "I love you too," she grinned back.

Daryl nodded seriously, gave her hand a quick tug and then dropped it. "A'right then. See ya at supper time."

-break-

Randall was still unconscious when Grace brought Daryl his supper an hour and a half later. Maggie had offered Grace up a loaned outfit of cleaned clothes while Carol tried to scrub the blood out of hers. The oldest Green daughter insisted it was the least she could do after Grace's help with Beth. Unlike their prisoner, the teenager was awake and taking visitors for short amounts of time, much to Claire and Jimmy's pleasure. Grace had warned them though that once she finished eating, she'd kick them right back outside to let Beth rest some more. She didn't want to put a lot of pressure on the girl before she'd fully recovered. It would be several days of bed rest and carefully monitoring her before Grace felt comfortable leaving her on her own.

"When's he supposed ta wake up?" Daryl flicked a careless hand at the barn. His mostly empty plate was balanced on one knee. There were roasted potatoes, mixed garden veggies, and some sort of wild fowl which Merle had caught. He'd been grinning like a fool when he brought it to them, gutted and plucked. The damn thing had even been missing its head and feet. Grace figured it was just safer not to ask.

"When he's ready. Hershel knocked him out with horse tranq and I think he might have overdone it a little bit out of panic. Then there's the blood loss." She shrugged. "Might not be until tomorrow. Hell, he might not even make it through the night."

Daryl bobbed his head and snuck another bite of potatoes. "Guess we'd just bury him then, huh?"

Grace shook her head, "I'd stab him first," she pointed to the back of her neck, dragging her finger up the back of her skull, "right in here. Just to be on the safe side. He's not running a fever now but who knows what he was exposed to with those people. Better safe than sorry. The other's will probably have a problem with it though. Desecrating a body or whatever."

"They gotta get over tha'." Daryl rolled his eyes. "When bodies can get up an' start chasin' ya, we gotta protect ourselves."

"It would be a good habit to get into. Just once, clean in and out with everyone who dies. A precaution. Either way, if he dies in his sleep, Rick's got him so trussed up, I'm sure he wouldn't be able to move."

"Should get some chains for when he does get up an' about. Rope can get worked away. If he's in chains he can't spend his day rubbing his wrist on somethin' ta get free."

"Rick's still got handcuffs. We could use..." From out of nowhere, an engine blasted down the road causing them both to jump. Daryl was on his feet in seconds, his crossbow raised. The truck sped into view, spinning its tires as it turned from the paved road to the gravel driveway, little rocks flying in a cloud of dust behind it.

"Stay the fuck here." Daryl snarled. "An' keep yer gun out."

Grace had already pulled out the gun and she showed it to him. He grunted a response, heading toward the truck. Shane and Rick were already standing on the porch, their own rifle's pointing at the truck. Merle met Daryl halfway there as whoever was in the truck was climbing out. The two brother's circled, the truck. The window rolled down but Grace couldn't quite see who it was. There was a muffled conversation that involved much snarling on Daryl and Merle's part but slowly the weapons were lowered.

"What's going on?" Lori called from behind the two men on the porch. She was cowering behind them, only peeking out to see what was happening in the front yard.

"He's from the other goup." Merle shouted back. "One tha' took in Gracie an' Carol's girl.'

The door of the truck popped open and Merle stepped back to let it, his weapon still held tightly but not nearly as aggressively as before. Cautiously a man stepped out of the truck and Grace caught a sight of him. Eli looked shaken, his face worried. When he caught sight of Merle and Daryl though he started talking in a rush, his hands waving. The brothers just nodded along until Eli stopped.

"Grace," Daryl called to her. He was still staring hard at the other man but his expression was unreadable. "Get over here."

She hurried to do just that, curiosity getting the better of her. "What's going on?" she repeated Lori's earlier statement.

Daryl frowned. "They have a bit of a problem."

Grace looked from Daryl and Merle to Eli who was still holding on to the door handle like he was ready to jump back into the truck and speed away. "What sort of problem?"

"They need you to check up on some people they've found."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

_**Warning:**__ The following chapter contains descriptions of human-caused injuries caused by physical assault, sexual assault and rape as well as open discussion of human torture. Content may be triggering for some readers. _

Daryl and Merle was tight lipped on the drive to the Halverson's farm. As she sat between the brothers, Grace found herself struggling to process what they had been told.

Shane was probably sashaying around camp shoving 'I told you so's in everyone's faces. He'd been smug as they pulled out of the driveway behind Eli's truck.

Daryl had put a comforting hand on Grace's back as Eli explained just what the other group had found. He'd been out with his brother-in-law Peter, and Christian when they'd stumbled across a destroyed camp. Thinking it had been abandoned they decided to take what supplies they could find. Christian had been first to hear the soft moaning. Assuming that it was a walker he'd followed the sound just a short distance from camp hoping to get rid of the threat before it led anymore to them. What he'd found instead was a teenage girl. She was naked, blood-covered and cut to shreds but she wasn't just moaning. She was crying. They'd found a second girl in better condition hidden under some bushes. Judging by the scuff marks on the ground she'd dragged herself there and then promptly passed out. Tied to a tree was an older man, unconscious and just as badly beaten.

But they were all still breathing.

Eli, Peter and Christian had cut the torn tent into sections, wrapped the three people in it and brought them back to the farm. Before they'd even gotten them into the house, Eli had gone in the opposite direction to get Grace. They weren't even sure if when they got to the farm the girls and the man would still be alive.

Reluctantly she'd left Claire. Though she'd wanted to bring her along, Grace hadn't wanted Claire to see the girls, especially not if they were as torn up as Eli was saying they were. It was bad enough that the girl had nightmares about walkers. She didn't need to worry about people as well. The description of the girls injuries and that the man had been tied up didn't point to walkers. There was something far more sinister lurking in the area.

"They threatened to find the farm," kept running around Grace's head; Rick's excuse for shooting the two men in the bar. Now she her mind turned to a dark place where she thought of third world countries ravaged by war, famine and disaster. The news had been good about advertising just what a sick place the human mind was. What if someone came across the farm when they were gone?

Grace shivered and Daryl glanced at her from the side of his eye. Completely ignoring that Merle was in the cab, he reached over and dropped a hand onto her knee, squeezing hard. Grace twisted her fingers into him and slid closer in the tight cab, allowing Daryl to wrap and arm around her shoulders. It was difficult to bite back her tears though. Staring at the taillights on Eli's truck, her vision swam.

It was Merle who broke the silence, snarling a string of profanity and smashing his fists into the dash with such intensity that it was surprising that the airbags didn't deploy. "Animals!" He growled, knuckles white and his fingers digging into his palm. "Fucking perverted animals. I ever find out who did it, I'm gonna pull his nut sack up to his ears and then cut it off. Fold fuckin' origami out of his prick. Skin 'im alive and strangle him with the pieces."

"We haven't even seen them yet," Grace pointed out quietly. "Maybe it's not as bad as it seems."

She felt Daryl shake his head against her. "Not everyone is good people, Grace. Whoever did this didn't want 'em to live. Don't go gettin' yer hopes up 'cause they might not make it."

"At least I'll have done something." Her mind turned to Randall and her willingness to have left him on the fence. Maybe she was wrong. Rick may have had a point by bringing him back and giving him a fighting chance. He was just some stupid kid after all. The poor guy's leg was ripped to shreds. He would probably never walk properly again but at least they had done something for him. More than his so-called friends had anyway. They were giving him a fighting chance and what more could anyone ask for in this world.

Daryl squeezed her shoulder. "Don't expect much," he sighed as they rounded the last corner, following the truck into the driveway. Eli hopped out of the truck almost before he had even cut the engine. Christian, Peter, Marco, Owen and JJ were all sitting on the front porch. They were more heavily armed than either of the times Grace had been there before.

It felt like a death march as Daryl helped her from the truck and the three of them started the slow walk up to the front door. Each footstep heavy, Grace could felt her heart in her throat.

"How are they?" Grace's voice shattered the silence.

"About the same." Marco grimaced. "The little one is conscious but she's wild. Meg and Joss are in with her. She's taking quite the fit in there. Matt, Gabe and Charlene have got the man and Jessie and Sara are with the other girl."

Peter looked sideways to at the two boys but spoke openly anyway. "It's a mess in there. I don't know if we got to them soon enough."

"Then we make them comfortable and do our best." Grace nodded, eyes locking with each of the men in turn. "You did the right thing coming to get me."

Running his fingers through his short curls, Peter nodded gravely. "I just hope it's enough."

Grace grimaced, "Me too. Daryl, Merle I need you two to stay here. The fewer men with them the better. It'll probably be a while before they feel comfortable."

Christian nodded with a grim pleasure. "We tried to keep the men outside. Only left Matt and Gabe in case the guy got startled and tried something. Figured they wouldn't want to see a whole bunch of guys staring them down after that."

"Probably for the best." Grace shifted the backpack she'd brought full of supplies. "Where are they?"

A broken scream cut her off and everyone turned to the house. It was wordless, a sound of terror that language couldn't express. Someone was clearly awake, from the pitch it sounded like one of the girls.

Grace didn't wait for directions, sprinting into the house and tearing up the stairs. The screaming had turned to choked sobs and frantic whining. She followed the noise to one of the closed bedroom doors, not bother to knock as she lightly opened it, hoping not to startle anyone. Meghan and Joss were hovering over the panicked girl who was cowering in the corner between the bed and the wall. The room had a double bed and a nightstand on each side and a small dresser. It had probably once been a guest bedroom. The blankets on the bed were a complete mess, a tipped over lamp laying where the pillows should have been.

Joss jumped when the door open but Meghan seemed fully focused on the girl.

"Shhh," she whispered, pushing Joss back a step. "We're not going to hurt you. You're safe here. You're safe." Carefully she knelt between Joss and the girl sitting herself on the floor to give the girl space. "No one's going to hurt you. They're gone. You're safe."

The girl made gave a startled whimper when she noticed Grace in the doorway, her swollen eyes widening with even more horror.

"It's alright," Grace adapted to Meghan's easy tone. "I won't hurt you either. I'm here to help." She took as step closer trying to get a better look without crowding the girl. She had a jagged cut on her forehead that was trickling blood through the dirt on her face and underneath the blanket she was clinging too, Grace could see the bright red of rope burns on her arms. A split lip, the thick purple of a bruise on her jaw and fingers imprinted into her neck made Grace nervous. She couldn't see what was beneath the blanket but the girl seemed filthy and blood covered.

"She's not as bad as the others." Joss whispered, answer the unspoken question. "She's been mostly awake since she got here. That's a good sign, right?"

"It could be. The other two?"

"Next door."

"Meghan, are you okay with her? I need Joss to get some things." Grace slowly crept up beside Meghan, staying just a few feet back.

"We're good, aren't we honey?" Meghan addressed the girl who shivered in response or maybe from the cold. It was easy to see that she was still naked underneath the blanket.

"Are you okay with that?" Grace addressed the girl who looked blankly at her. She'd stopped screaming but still made an occasional whimpering sound. "Okay, Joss is going to get you some clothes, some more blankets and something to eat." Grace turned back to Joss. "We need warm water, soap and a wash cloth to get her cleaned up. If it hurts, don't touch it, something could be broken. Get her dressed in something loose so I can check her over when I get back. And she needs water and food. Start her with the water and if she doesn't throw up switch to something light. Soup or rice. That can come after though. Get her washed and dressed first. I want her to stay warm so we don't worry about shock." Meghan and Joss were nodding along, the two women bearing twin expressions of worry. "I'll need the same for the others eventually too. More water. Towels. Any medical supplies, bandages, peroxide, tape, anything you have. Get someone from downstairs to help you bring it up but no one else comes in the rooms. We don't need them overwhelmed. Do you understand?"

"Wash her carefully, dress her and see if she can drink or eat something."

"And no one else in the room." Grace repeated. The poor girl had to be overwhelmed enough by everything that had happened. She didn't need even more strangers coming and going. The girl needed a familiar face that she could depend on, someone that she knew for sure wouldn't hurt her. The bedroom needed to be a safe space for her so she could relax and begin to heal. "I'll be back after I check on the others. Come and get me if anything changes."

Both women nodded, Joss stepping aside so Grace could reach the door. She followed Grace out into the hallway, behind them, Meghan was whispering encouragements and comforting words to the trembling girl on the floor. They bumped into Gabe coming out of the bedroom next door, his arms full of bloody towels.

"Grace!" The teenager gasped in surprise. "You came!"

"As soon as Eli told me what happened." She tilted her head toward the door. "Is the man in there?"

Gabe nodded, "He's pretty fucked up... uh messed up." He stuttered looking nervously at Joss. "He's messed up bad."

Joss pretended that she hadn't heard anything. "I'm going to go get those things now." She turned away from Grace and Joss.

"Wait," Grace stopped her. She had to pick between the two patients and had no clue where to start. She needed a little bit of insight into who she should visit next. The girl with Meghan seemed alright in a physical sense. Her injuries at least could wait to be treated. If both the others were unconscious though there was no way of telling which one it would be better to see. She'd feel terrible going to one and having the other die without knowing if she'd made the right choice. Grace wanted to see the worse patient first to determine if she could try to save them and then focus on the other two. "Who's worse?"

Joss's eyes dropped to the floor and she crossed her arms. "I don't know Grace. I'm not a doctor. That's your call..."

"You've seen them. Who would you say is worse off? They'll need the most attention."

"The girl is cut up bad," Gabe piped up. "Looks like a knife or something. All over but they're working on getting the bleeding to stop."

"And the man?" Grace prompted, still staring at Joss.

The teenage boy continued, frowning deeply. "He's not breathing too well. His face is all swollen. They tied him up to a tree. He's cut up too but not like the girl. He... Dad said he probably tried to fight them. He doesn't think the girls fought as hard."

Joss nodded, "See to him first. The girl is... I don't think her injuries are as life threatening. They wanted to keep the girls alive until they didn't need them anymore. He was more," she swallowed hard, "disposable."

"Alright, when you're done bringing Meghan supplies, would you be able to get the same into me and then the other girl? I'll check up on him first then her. They'll all need to be cleaned up though. The chance of infection, the regular kind and the other, I don't know if we'd be able to help them if things went really wrong." Grace sighed and put her hand on the door knob.

With the first push open of the door the smell of piss and blood hit her hard. The man on the bed was a mass of cuts and bruises. The light sheet draped over his groin wasn't enough to hide the rest of his tattered body from view as he lay on the bare mattress a piled of soiled sheets sitting in the corner. How anyone had survived like that and was still alive was a miracle.

Charlene and Matt were watching Grace carefully as she entered the room, as if just her face could tell them if this man would be saved. She looked up and down the body on the bed and shook her head. Gabe was right, he was really fucked up. On auto-pilot, Grace dropped her backpack on the floor and rolled up her sleeves. She pulled out a fresh pair of gloves and sat down next to the man's head, leaning slightly over him. He'd need glue for the cut above his eyebrow, more for the slice behind his ear. The areas were swollen but she couldn't tell if there was brain damage.

"Matt, can you hold him?" She'd brought a small penlight and with Matt holding him gently in case he happened to wake-up, she checked his pupils, flashing the light back and forth to test his response. Surprisingly everything seemed normal. She got Matt and Charlene to glove up and the three of them worked from his head to his feet, carefully cleaning his injuries as they came across them and patching up what they could, careful not to move him too much.

His arms and torso were scratched and burned from the ropes that had held him to the tree but those were only superficial. Because of the amount of scratches though, they would have to be careful to keep them clean especially if he spent a while recovering in bed. Grace opted to leave the ones on his stomach uncovered to hopefully get them to scab. The scratches on his back from the bark and seemingly being dragged were too deep for that. She wanted him laying on his back while he was unconscious, so they had carefully bandaged him. Cleaning his back was tedious as there were bits of gravel and other things in the wounds. Grace had given him a shot of morphine to help alleviate any pain and then she had Charlene help her go over him with a pair of tweezers and warm wash cloth to get the debris out.

Judging by the bruises along his ribs there was a good chance that he'd been kicked and stepped on. Without knowing how much pain he was in or getting an x-ray she couldn't figure out if his ribs were broken, cracked or just bruised. His breathing was a little bit laboured but there was little she could do about it. Some things just couldn't be helped without the wonders of modern medicine, which was now a thing of the past. Luckily most of his other injuries seemed to just be bruises and knife cuts, a few of which needed a couple of stitches.

Grace rigged an IV stand on a coat rack she'd gotten them to bring from downstairs. With not knowing about what conditions they'd been living in before the attack it was safer to get some fluids into him. She was just about to give instructions to Matt and Charlene to keep checking his temperature to make sure he didn't develop a fever when there was a knock at the door.

The person didn't bother to wait for a response though, they just threw the door open, causing everyone to jump. Gabe stood just outside in the hallway, his face split in two with a huge grin. "Other girl woke-up! Proper woke-up, not a grunch!"

"When?" Grace went wide eyed, she hadn't heard screaming like the first girl. What condition was this one in?

"Just now. I came right over."

Grace found herself nodding while she turned sharply back to Matt and Charlene. "Tie his arms to the headboard and check his temperature. With the injuries he's got we have no way of knowing if he's infected."

"That's barbaric." Matt shook his head at the suggestion. "He's already been bound to a tree by the animals that attacked them."

"We're just assuming that." Grace pointed out. "Who knows why he was tied up. Maybe to torture him but maybe he was infected. The same goes for the girls come to think of it. We don't know for sure they aren't infected with all these injuries. Better safe than sorry when one of us gets bitten. I'd suggest someone with a gun in each of the rooms until we know for sure. But make it someone who can keep a level head and the weapon hidden."

"So they're our prisoners?"

"Think of it like quarantine. They're badly injured, most likely traumatised. We're going to be dealing with a lot of terror and a lot of anger when they're conscious enough to realize their surroundings. I'd say give them at least a few days until we know how they're going to react. Even if they aren't infected there's a good chance they might react violently out of instinct if they're startled." Grace sighed, "Look, I'm not telling you how to do things. It's not my house. If my kids were here though..." She gave Matt and Charlene a stern look. "I'd be thinking about how closely you were going to watch them."

Matt shook his head and pointed to the man lying on the bed, "He's not a monster. We're human here. People. And he's a person too. We'll post a guard but I think everyone here would be uncomfortable with locking them up. We'll take our chances."

"Ain't lettin' the kids up here though. Gabe's a different story. Little ones can sleep downstairs in the living room or something." Charlene added. "Just 'cause we're taking our risks keeping them loose doesn't mean we gotta risk it all."

"Agreed."

"Alright then, I'm gonna go check on the other girl." She turned to Gabe who was still standing nervously in the doorway. "How is she?"

"She's sort of woozy. Don't think she knows where she is. Seemed less scared than the other one. Not so... scream-y."

Grace would have to see for herself. Just because the other girl was quieter didn't necessarily mean that she was in better condition. Physically she could tell what the victims needed but with the type of attack they were assuming the three newcomers had experienced, there was no telling what sort of emotional damage these people had taken. She'd heard of cases where people developed PTSD and ended up attacking the very people that were trying to help them. That was before the end of the world. Now, when everyone was already such a threat, they couldn't simply take the risk that nothing would go wrong.

She found herself pulling on a new set of gloves before she'd even opened the bedroom door. Trying to mask the apprehension that was rapidly developing, Grace put on her best bedside manner expression and allowed Gabe to hold the door open for her. "Hey," Grace quietly greeted Jessie and Sara. The two brown haired sisters nodded back quietly. They were giving the bed wide berth. It took Grace a moment to realize that the small lump under the crumpled blankets was the girl she was supposed to be looking at. They were right, the other girl was in much better condition.

"Hello honey," Grace cautiously approached the bed. "Gabe, do you mind closing the door behind you?" She addressed the other teenager who was still lurking in the doorway. "We're going to need more water up here. Knock when you've brought it." It was easy to see that she wouldn't be able to look at the girl with Gabe still in the room. Just acknowledging the girl had fresh tears rolling down her cheeks, the fragile form quaking. Grace crept to the bed cautiously, kneeling down to bring herself to the girl's eye level but not forcing eye-contact. "I'm Grace. I was a nurse before all this started. These people who brought you here are good people and when they saw you were hurt they came to get me. I want to make sure that you're going to be okay. Do you understand?"

Stiffly the girl's head dropped just a fraction of an inch.

"Good, we're going to have to get you cleaned up if we're going to make sure you'll heal properly. Will you let us help you get washed up? We'll get some warm water brought in here and some soap."

Again the girl's head ticked downward and back up.

"Okay, this is Jessie and Sara. They're going to help me take care of you. Is that okay?" The nod came a little quicker this time, there were no more tears, the pink puffiness remained though as did the stains through the mud on the girl's face. "I'd like to know your name if you want to tell me."

The teenager took a shuddering gasp, her eyes shooting up to lock with Grace's, "Ash..." she whispered, the voice muffled by strained vocal cords. She gave a little cough and swallowed. "My name's Ashley."

"Hello Ashley," Grace gave her a reassuring smile. "Sounds like you could use a drink. Would you like some water?"

Ashley nodded, eyes darting between the three women in the room with her. As soon as she'd agreed to a drink Sara passed Grace a glass of water. The cup was room temperature but the water seemed fresh. They didn't have refrigeration the way Hershel's farm did but it was still good water. The teenager's hand shot out when she was offered the glass, overexcited.

"Whoa," Grace cautioned, "Too much and you'll make yourself sick."

The girl didn't seem to listen though, she'd already swallowed down most of the glass and didn't seem to be slowing down soon. "Is there more?" She gasped as she tipped the empty glass back down, looking around the room eagerly.

"I think that's enough." Grace had to smile a little bit. It was obvious that this girl hadn't seen a glass of fresh water like that in a while. "I'd like to give you a look over if that's okay." She needed to see just what had happened before they could start washing the girl up. Even hidden under the mud and dirt caked onto her, Grace could see plenty of slices and cuts. Someone had taken a knife to her or something else equally sharp. It almost seemed as though they had attempted designs. Like someone thought that by cutting into this girl they were making art. It was the work of pure insanity, not the mindless hunger of a walker but an actually disturbed person. Someone who should have been locked up instead of free to attack innocent people.

As if she realized what Grace was looking at, Ashley clutched her blanket tighter, her knuckles going white on the empty glass in her hand. "I'm okay."

"We're not going to hurt you," Grace sighed, "But we need to get you cleaned up. You've got a high risk of infection."

"I'm okay." Ashley began shaking her head, sliding backwards on the bed and away from the three women now looking at her with concern. "I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." Her eyes began to sparkle as her fingers trembled and the glass fell. Jessie reached out to catch it before it bounced off the bed and the teenager in front of them jerked backwards, hitting her head on the headboard. She gave a startled yelp and began to sob for real. Large wet gasps tore through her fragile body. Forgotten, the blanket dropped to the bed and Grace could clearly see the circles and lines, some still oozing blood, along Ashley's visible ribs.

"You're fine." Grace leaned forward, gesturing for the women to circle the bed so Ashley didn't topple straight backwards off of it in her attempt to escape. "You're going to be just fine. We're not going to hurt you." Grace worked on distracting Ashley with small words of encouragement so Sara and Jessie could get behind her, stopping her retreat. "You're safe here. You're safe. Nothing's going to hurt you here."

"Please, I'm okay. I'm okay." The teenagers sobbed again. "I'm okay." Her backwards crawl bumped her right into Sara and she gasped, lurching towards Grace who caught her gently.

"I've got you," Grace soothed, brushing her hand over the girl's matted hair. "We just need to get you cleaned then you can have a rest. Is that alright?"Ashley gave a shudder but didn't move away. Her body collapsed into Grace, one boney hand clutching at Grace's shirt collar.

"She's terrified." Sara blurted suddenly, finding her voice after being shocked into silence. "Maybe we should wait."

"It won't be any easier later," Grace insisted. "She's filthy. The longer those wounds are left dirty the more likely she'll get an infection. Then she'll scar for sure."

The other woman seemed torn between helping the girl and giving her the space she clearly was begging for. "Leave it, Sara." Her sister rested a hand on her shoulder. "She'll thank us when it's over." Looking at Grace, Jessie nodded. "What do you need?"

"The water Gabe was getting. I don't want him walking in here. She deserves privacy, right Ashley?" Grace rested a comforting hand on the girl who was still crying quietly but a flicker of acknowledgment flashed across the girl's face. Grace held onto the teenager until Jessie came back with the water. When the woman slipped back into the room and offered the bucket Grace was already trying to figure out how the wash up would work out. The girl was caked in mud; it seemed to stick to every bit of her but was especially thick on her back and face. Along her torso, the streaks of muck covered fingerprints covered the torture inflicted slices.

There wouldn't be a way to wash Ashley without getting everything else covered. Already Grace's front was stained. "Can you get some more towels?" She asked to no one in particular. "We'll need them or else this place is going to be a mess."

"Would she be okay to stand?" Sara wondered, looking around the room. "If she can stand we could use one of those bins." She pointed to a couple of large plastic storage containers that were sitting in the corner. "Just empty one and use if for the dirty water."

"We'll need more water." Jessie was already moving toward the door. "A lot more water."

"Are you okay with that?" Grace asked and Ashley blinked up at her nodding slowly. "I guess that's what we do then."

Jessie did bring a lot more water, just as she had promised. It took almost all of it to get the girl cleaned, her sunburned skin slowly revealing from underneath the grime. She'd been pale at one point, her hair redish-gold and her cheeks freckled lightly. Grace knew why whoever had done it had targeted the girls. If the other one was anywhere as pretty as Ashley they were walking targets for psychos. Not that it was any justification for what had happened, those people were still sick bastards, but seeing a pretty piece of ass just there for the taking must have been too much of a temptation for their twisted minds. A million different crime show speeches ran through her mind as they got Ashley cleaned up, bandaged and tucked into bed wearing fresh PJs.

There had been nothing left at that camp; these three had literally been left as dead. No food, no water and the only tent that remained was beyond being repaired. Stuff like this shouldn't happen when people were supposedly civilized. It was like something you heard out of a documentary from some war torn country in Africa. Everyday Americans didn't just brutally attack and rape helpless strangers.

Grace suddenly felt less uneasy about Randall. He was after all just another survivor. She was glad that Rick had brought him back if there were people out there who were slowly descending into madness. They didn't need to descend into that dark place, where no one else mattered and people didn't protect each other. It shouldn't be humans against humans when there were dead things trying to eat you. There weren't enough people left to start killing each other.

Ashley was drifting in and out of sleep when Grace doled out medication, carefully counting pills to make sure they would have enough to split between the three. As an afterthought she pulled out the package she'd taken from Lori. Morning after pills. Good for up to 72 hours after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. That was the last thing the girls needed as a reminder. Ashley would surely carry her scars for the rest of her life and the other girl probably would as well. Factoring in their age, the mental state they were in and the level of starvation they seemed to have endured, they were in no state to be having to deal with a possible pregnancy. As uncomfortable as she felt taking away their right to choose, she couldn't put them through making that choice.

"Ashley," Grace whispered, sitting lightly on the bed and brushing the girl's wet bangs back. "I need you to sit up for a bit so you can take some pills."

Ashley nodded sleepily, struggling to shift herself up on the pillows. Sara leaned in to help, leaning against the other side of the bed so she could help Grace get the medication into the girl. Jessie had gone to help with putting the children into bed. When Grace had found out that the other woman typically read them a story, she insisted that they keep the routine as normal as possible even with the strange guests.

With the teenager properly drugged, they allowed her to lay back down and fall asleep again.

"You should go check on the other girl," Sara frowned. "Jessie and I are going to take turns in here. She can meet more people tomorrow but it would be best to keep the same faces around for right now, right?"

"Definitely," Grace smiled, glad that the other woman seemed to understand. "It'll take a while to build up trust. I'm just pleased she let us clean her and bandage everything in the end."

"She's exhausted, look at how easily she fell asleep." Sara, lightly rubbed the fabric covering the girl's shoulder. "What kind of person..."

"Someone even more disgusting than walkers," Grace replied quickly. "It's disturbing. I think we need to consider moving up the cleaning out of the subdivision. There's more out there than walkers to worry about now and there's safety in numbers. With so many kids, I wouldn't want to think of what would happen if we ran into them on our own."

"Thirteen." Sara mumbled, staring down at the bed.

"What's that?"

"The lines on the inside of her leg. I think they were... tallies?" The other woman shuddered. "There were thirteen lines. Someone was keeping track."

Grace found her jaw dropping. She hadn't been looking for meanings in the markings as she cleaned and bandaged them, she'd been trying to get it over with as quickly as possible for Ashley so she didn't need to endure the uncomfortable touches any longer. "Do you think that means, thirteen times?"

"Or thirteen bastards. Does the other girl have them as well?"

"I don't know. She was so much less serious that I wanted to treat Ashley and the man first. Meghan and Joss were supposed to clean her up once she'd calmed down some. I guess we'll have to check."

Sara nodded, still absently petting Ashley's shoulder. The teen seemed to be sleeping quite soundly now, either comfortable enough to relax or too broken to care anymore. With her seemingly out of the danger zone, all she would need to be was carefully supervised. There would most likely be night terrors and panic attacks, coupled with a strong distrust for strangers no matter how kind. Waking up in a strange place would be difficult enough without the added fear of being attacked again. It made sense to "assign" the girls' care to specific people, give them time to develop a bond before throwing them into the mess of people and extended family crushed in under one roof. Grace didn't even want to consider them meeting the group at Hershel's farm; too much instability and tension. The girls would do better recovering without added stress.

-break-

Meghan and Joss had only been able to manage cleaning off the second girl a little bit. Though she was no longer screaming and outright crying she still protested being touched at all. When Grace let herself into the bedroom with a light knock, she found Joss and Meghan sitting on one side of the room and the girl sitting on the floor with her blanket wrapped tightly around her and distrustful eyes peeking through her fingers.

"We can't get her to move." Meghan whispered quietly. "She's been like that almost since you left. We tried to wash her up but it's hard when she won't move the blanket and she scratches you if you try to do it yourself."

Grace nodded, she'd expected a violent reaction from at least one of the girls. Ashley seemed to be too weak to have much fight left in her at all. The exhaustion, blood loss and adrenaline leaving her system all made for a toxic combination. She may be more likely to act out in the next few days as reality started to hit her but for now she was too out of it to really know what was going on around her. This girl had been more alert since they'd brought her in. Grace would probably have to sedate her to get anything done but it would be a trick to get a needle into her. She would start with talking and if worst came to worst, she'd get Meghan and Joss to hold her while she medicated her.

"Is she responding at all?" Grace wondered aloud. If the girl was at least paying attention to them, they might be able to get her name and some information from her.

"She's alert." Joss offered shrugging.

Meghan nodded, "She know we're here and she can hear us talking but ever since we tried to take the blanket she won't let anyone close to her. It's like she's afraid we're going to hurt her."

"Which is exactly what those other people did." Grace pointed out. "She'll be distrustful for a while. Healing is going to be a lot quicker physically than emotionally. I'll try something and if that doesn't work, you grab her and I'll," She pantomimed giving an injection. "I'd rather not though."

Meghan shook her head. "See if we can't get her to snap out of it at least a little. She'll probably still need the medication but at least we won't have to force it on her. I wouldn't want to be out of control like that."

"Me either." Grace agreed with a sigh. "What are our options though? Let her sit in her own filth? Allow her to be terrified forever?" She shook her head. "We have to at least try."

Joss and Meghan stood back as Grace settled herself on the floor a few feet away from the girl. The girl watched her nervously, scooting back into the wall even further. The skin around her eyes was bright and swollen from crying and being rubbed at. She'd let them touch her before, maybe they just needed to really show her they weren't a threat so she would let them again. Grace wanted to check to see if she too had lines on the inside of her thigh. If the thirteen really did mean that the other girl had been raped at least thirteen times then there was a good chance they were dealing with something similar here.

"Do you remember me?" Grace spoke to the girl, not looking directly at her but making sure she knew that she was being addressed. "I'm Grace. They asked me here to help you out. You know Joss and Meghan. They're the ones who've been trying to help you. This would be a lot more pleasant if you would let us work on doing our job and trying to make you better." There was barely more response than a flickering of her eyes back and forth. She could definitely hear but she was far too terrified to acknowledge. Grace decided to try another approach. "I was just in the other room with Ashley."

The girl's eyes swelled and Grace fought back a grin. That had definitely gotten her attention.

"She was with you right? When you got attacked. I helped clean her up and gave her some medication to help her heal. I had to do a lot of bandaging on her. You met some really cruel people out there didn't you?" The girl's head moved a fraction of an inch. It wasn't much but it was a start. "We'd really like to help you. You need to be cleaned up and I'd like to check you over to make sure nothings hurt worse than we think. Do you think you'd be able to help me with that? We just need to take off the blanket for a little bit."

The girl shook her head.

Grace gave a small laugh. "It helps doesn't it? Protects you a little bit. We're not going to hurt you though. Not like whoever did this to you. We're not that sort of people. Those were animals that attacked you. Less human than the walkers."

"What's a walker?" The girl squeaked out.

Inwardly Grace's heart leapt. This could be just the breakthrough they were looking for. "That's what I call the people that come back. Lots of names though. "Walkers, grunch, lurkers, creepers, infected..."

"We call them biters." The girl whispered.

"Makes sense." Grace nodded. "And what do we call you?"

The girl chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment until finally her mouth opened. "Mandy."

"Nice to meet you Mandy." Grace gave her a gentle smile. "Now when Ashley wakes up we can tell her that you're doing alright."

"Can I see her?" The girl blurted, giving a small lurch forward. "Ash is my sister. I thought... I thought they'd killed her and I was the only one left." Mandy's eyes filled with tears that spilled forward and ran through the streaks and smudges on her face. "She tried to stop them from going after me but it didn't work. Then I passed out. I can't remember what happened. I thought they'd killed her. The last I saw she was quiet. I thought she was dead and they were still..."

"Shhhh." Grace whispered, taking the opportunity to scoot a little bit closer. "Ashley's fine. Just sleeping. She's hurt but she'll heal in a few weeks and be as good as new. She must have done a pretty good job protecting you because you don't seem very badly hurt."

"My shoulder."

"What about your shoulder?"

"It hurts. A lot." Mandy added with a whimper, cradling her left arm. "I can hardly move it."

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Grace slid just a little bit closer, maintaining as much distance as she could but it was getting tough to not crowd the teenager with the bed and the dresser so close. "Let's sit on the bed and we can take a look." Carefully she helped the girl to her feet and got her seated on the bed. Mandy allowed her to lower the blanket from her left shoulder, tucking it firmly under her armpit to keep her chest covered. Grace prompted the girl to talk as she carefully examined the arm. "Where are you guys from?"

"Marietta."

"Was it just you and Ashley?"

"My mom and dad were with us. We got caught in traffic though and abandoned the van. Dad thought we'd do better camping and staying away from people. We were looking for food in this empty house when one of the biters got Mom. Then she got really sick and well..." Mandy gave a small disconnected shrug. Grace could already see the signs of PTSD setting in. Mandy was talking about her mother dying but there was no grief on her face, just a blank vacant expression. "Daddy tied her up and we kept moving. We've been around the area here for the past week or so though, had a nice little camp set up, a new truck. A nice big truck; we could fit everything into the back of it and take off if we needed to. They saw the truck and came to take it. Daddy told Ash and me to stay in the tent but this big guy found us." The teenager's eyes were distant now, staring off into the space somewhere next to the dresser.

"Mandy," Grace gently prompted, "was your father tied up?" She was sure now that Mandy's shoulder was dislocated but she wanted to find out if the man with them was her father. That at least would give her a small sense of peace in leaving him unrestrained.

Slowly Mandy nodded. "After they... They hurt him. Hurt him bad. They kept waking him up to watch them..." her bottom lip quivered.

"He's here too." Meghan jumped in. "He's in another room. Grace was with him, weren't you Grace?"

"He's alive?!" Mandy twisted, yelping as her shoulder protested.

"Easy," Grace warned. "You shoulder is dislocated. I want to put it into place and then we can get you cleaned up. Once that's all done you can go visit with your dad and sister. Your dad hasn't woken up yet though. He's very badly injured."

The young girl curled in on herself, hugging the blanket tighter. "They were trying to protect me. Daddy didn't want them to touch me and Ashley," the girl choked, swallowing hard with a gasp. "They all wanted a," Mandy hissed out the word, "_turn._"

"It's alright. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you here."

Mandy's body trembled. "They wanted both of us. The big one said I was crying too much so he was going to..." She swallowed again. "He was going to '_shut me up'_. Ashley protected me because Daddy couldn't. She let them take her instead. The guy had this knife he was playing with all the time. When Ashley got too quiet he'd cut her. And he used it to keep track of how many times." Mandy's hand dropped down her lap instinctively covering where Grace assumed her thigh was.

Grace found the bile rising up in her throat. "Mandy did he cut you?"

Mandy's head twisted to look at Grace, her face contorted with struggling to process what had happened to her.

"On the inside of the leg." Grace continued pressing. "Did he cut you on the inside of the leg the way he cut Ashley?"

The tears started falling slowly as the girl nodded, her fingers twisting in the blanket.

"How many times did he cut you?" It was easier than asking how many times she'd been raped. If Ashley had offered herself then her number was probably higher. Still thirteen meant a fairly large group of men had attacked them. They'd stopped when they assumed the girls were dead but there was only so much suffering a body could endure before it start to shut down. How many of these psychos were out there? Twenty? Twenty-five? Thirty?

Slowly Mandy stretched out her fingers, the tears rolling down her neck now. Index, middle, ring and pinky. Four fingers. Four men had raped her. Four had taken advantage of her and used her as her father and sister watched trying to protect her. Thirteen had attacked her sister. That was at least seventeen, eighteen if the knife wielding man hadn't participated in the actual rapes.

"Did the man with the knife do anything other than cut?"

Mandy shook her head. "He watched. He liked watching. Wanted the men to put on a show for the others."

"There were more?"

"They left when Ashley passed out. I guess they thought I was dead already. I passed out then, didn't check to see if she was alive. I could have helped her. She protected me and they attacked her and I didn't even help her." Mandy's voice was frantic now, peaking almost to a squeak. Every word she spoke came with tremors and whines. "It's my fault. She could have died and it my fault. I should have helped her. Why didn't I help her? I don't feel so good." She announced before lurching sideways and vomiting all over the side of the bed. Meghan jumped in to help Grace hold the girl as she continued to spit up bile and dry heave. There didn't seem to have been too much in her stomach, they'd probably been running low on food when the attacks had happened. Who knew how much longer they would have survived out there.

How many other groups were out there just being missed or hiding because they were scared? How many were a threat and how many were regular people trying to survive like they were? Walkers were one thing. They were slow and stupid and could be out manoeuvred with a little effort. Regular people out to kill them though was a different story. It was a lot harder to figure out if a group of people was safe or not. At least walkers came with warning signs.

-break-

It was dark outside by the time Grace finally got to go downstairs. She felt sick to her stomach about what had happened to the girls and their father. This world no longer seemed like a hopeful place any more. If people could just attack each other like that, stealing everything they had, raping them and leaving them for dead, what was left? Not civilization, that was for sure. These were every day American citizens, weren't they? Was this what happened when people were left to their own devices.

"Wha's uh matter?" Daryl was licking his lips almost anxiously, hunched against the wall in the hallway.

Grace gave herself a shake. "Just thinking about the girls. Have you been there the whole time?"

"Can't move him." Etta smiled, walking out of the living room. The elderly woman limped slightly, leaning on her cane but smiled warmly. "We offered him a bed for the night. His brother's already passed out in the truck. Said he'd leave the back open for you if you two didn't want to sleep in the house. You've got a good man there. He said he'd wait for you to get finished with the girls."

Daryl snorted and shoved his hands further under his armpits. His eye kept darting between Grace and the Halverson matriarch, nervously waiting for one of them to push the bar just a bit too far.

"I like him," Grace smiled, pointedly locking her eyes with Daryl. His response was to wrinkle up his nose in disgust and haul himself to his feet.

"Gonna go have a smoke," he grunted. "Find me." Daryl stared at Grace with his eyebrows raised pointedly.

"Alright. Once I'm done talking to Etta." Grace gave him a small forced smile and Daryl nodded, moving toward the door. On the way past her, Daryl gave her shoulder a squeeze, barely stopping long enough to do that but that he'd done it at all was reassuring. He was just barely comfortable enough to touch her in front of their own group, let alone this group of strangers.

"He's a shy one," Etta chuckled, breaking through Grace's thoughts. "Doesn't say much."

"What? Oh, yeah. He's not much for strangers."

"You're lucky to have someone like him looking out for you," Wisely the old woman mused. "Him and his brother would have gone after those men if they knew where to find them. They were ready to take up arms and hunt them down. Those bastards." The curse sounded wrong coming from such a sweet, fragile looking woman. "If we find out who's done this, I'd say let them go for it."

"We may have a bigger problem than just a few psychos. The younger girl, Mandy, she was able to speak with us a little bit." Cautiously Grace lowered her voice, worried about being overheard and starting a panic. "We're looking for a decent sized group. She says there's some big guy who's leading them, likes to cut things. He kept track on the girls how many times they were raped. If even half of them participated, we're looking at, at least thirty, maybe more people."

The other woman's face fell, eyes narrowing and her mouth firming into a narrow line. "We'll need to start being more careful. Maybe Eli's been right this whole time, I'm putting them all at risk taking in strays like you. These people wouldn't hesitate would they?"

"With a reasonably secure house full of supplies and women? Probably not." The answer is almost too honest for her to give, Grace can feel it sinking into the pit of her stomach. Those girls could have been Maggie and Beth and it could have been Hershel tied up to that tree. "I'm going to go out and see Daryl. Get Merle to come inside too. We need to start sleeping all in the same place. Safety in numbers."

"We'll get something set up for you three. You can have the office. It's not big but it'll suit the three of you." Etta gave Grace a stiff smile. "And it'll keep you close to those girls. You take a blanket for your arms and bring your boys inside for the night."

Grace breathed a sigh of relief, accepting the offered blanket and wrapping it around her. Etta was right, it was getting chilly out there. The nights weren't summer hot any more. They were slowly cooling off to a crisp autumn. It wouldn't be long before their tents were too cold to sleep in anyway. It was better to sleep inside the house. She'd probably be up half the night checking on the girls anyways. It would be easier to stay close. She'd send Daryl and Merle back to the farm in the morning to tell Rick and the others what they knew now. It was too late to go tonight, too dark and dangerous to send them out on the road no matter how much she worried about their lost-and-found family sleeping on Hershel's front lawn. They needed to know they couldn't just go running off. Not with so many threatening people in the area. A sick thought started forming, her chest tightening with the thought.

Randall, the kid who's blood she'd been up to her elbows in not so long ago. The men that he was with who were in the bar had threatened Rick with coming back to the farm.

"Done your talk?" Daryl grunted, a cigarette held tightly between two fingers as he sat on the steps of the house.

Grace nodded, pulling the blanket a little tighter. Suddenly she was bone cold. "I want you to go back to the farm tomorrow."

"Wha's tha?"

"You need to warn Rick. They can't sleep that far from the house. You can see those tents from the road. It's a welcoming sign for anyone who drives past. If Hershel won't let them in then they've gotta come here now. Make Shane and Rick see reason." Her voice came bubbling out, rushing so quickly that she couldn't even understand half of what she was saying.

"Easy now!" Daryl shoved the cigarette into his boot and let the butt fall to the porch. He caught her hand and tugged her down between his legs, settling her bum on the cold step with her body framed by his knees. Her fingers caught in his shirt as she pressed tightly to him. Grace snuggling in deeply, gasping with uncontrolled panic. "Shhh, shhh, shhh." Daryl whispered, freeing the blanket from around her and flipping it around his own shoulders so e could press her right into them. It encased both of them in a warm cocoon

Grace settled against his chest and let him pull the blanket tighter. "This place isn't safe anymore."

"Nowhere's been real safe." Daryl pointed out. "Jus' safer for the time being. 'Bout time we moved on."

"No," Grace shook her head. "We know here. We can make a stand if someone tries something. Out there on the road we'll be sitting ducks. We need to bring the groups together though. It's not a matter of wanting to any more. We need everyone in one place."

"Rick'll protect the folks out at the farm. Merle an' me'll head out first thing if tha's what ya want. Think Merle's a little bit uncomfortable leaving the girl out there now that he's heard what happened to them people they found. Ya thinkin' 'bout staying here with the girls for a bit?"

"A few days at least," Grace nodded with a sigh. "I'd rather everyone was just all here."

"Don't think we'll be getting Rick ta leave that farm. He's pretty set on Lori havin' tha' baby there. Ain't tha' long of a drive though. We can always go 'tween the two."

"I guess. You really think we won't change his mind?"

"Maybe'd get Shane over here and a couple of the others but they're set on stayin' now that Hershel's gonna let 'em. Who knows though. That place is further from town. Might be harder to find. If yer really worried though, maybe i's time ta start thinkin' 'bout makin' our way out on our own. You, me, Merle, the girl, anyone else who wants ta."

"No," Grace frowned. "We need to be somewhere secure. I guess the two places isn't so bad, so long as they aren't sleeping outside."

Daryl was quiet for a moment before he spoke up, "Ya don't want us out in the truck tonight do ya?"

She shook her head, "No."

He gave a short growl and then sighed, "Guess tha' means we gotta go wake Merle. An' don't think yer getting outta it an' taking off fer the house. Ya gotta live with him too." Daryl nudged her good naturedly. "He ain't jus' my problem, now is he?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:**  
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I know I'm a week into the year already but I feel as if a celebration is in order right now. I'm posting guys! I'm really posting! I've got chapter 16 off the the Beta already and I'm 1 1/2 scenes from finishing writing chapter chapter 17. There's still life in this story and I've still got story I want to tell. So here it is, some Grace/Daryl, some Merle, some new friends, some old ones.

Hope you enjoy it! I love you all and couldn't be more grateful for the amazing past year you've given me.

PS It's appropriate that I'm posting this today given that Jan 6th - today- is Norman's birthday. I'm now officially in love with someone twice my age that I've only spoken with a few times over three days but HOT DAMN is Normy worth it!

**Chapter Fifteen**

"I got her Grace." Mandy stuck out her bottom lip and pushed herself closer to her sister, the other girl half laying on her and sobbing. It wasn't the first time Grace had been in to check on the girls when one of them woke-up screaming from nightmares. Mandy seemed more and more determined to care for her big sister, especially since their father didn't seem to be improving much. The fourteen year old seemed to have pushed all thoughts of her own attack to the back of her mind. Grace watched from the doorway as Mandy shifted Ashley.

"It's okay, Ash. I got you." Mandy whispered, petting her sister's hair. There were four solar lamps glowing brightly in the room throwing shadows around, but the girls felt safer if they could see. No one felt comfortable with the idea yet, but Grace hoped in the next few weeks to slowly replace the lamps with knives or some other small weapon. Something the girls could take with them and use to defend themselves. Something that wouldn't leave them feeling like victims any more.

"Are you sure?" Grace wondered. She'd stayed plenty of times before. Someone was always willing to wake-up and run to the girls just in case it was more than a nightmare. They needed to feel safe in this house after all.

Mandy nodded, her black eyes had almost faded now. She was stubborn, that was for sure. Once the girls had been put into the same room they clung tightly to each other, protecting one another. Still this was the first time either had given permission for someone to leave them before the situation was resolved. "Go back to sleep."

"I'm just down the hall." Grace offered, just in case the girls needed reminding. "Come get me if something changes."

"It was just a nightmare," Mandy spat out almost bitterly and Grace grimaced.

"It's okay to come get me though." Just a nightmare. There was no unseen group of attackers chasing them. No one planning to rape and beat them to death.

A week didn't seem like a long time but as she collapsed onto the mattress for the fourth time that night, Grace could feel just how long those seven days had been.

Daryl was right; Rick didn't want to leave the farm now. There were the girls on this farm and they had Randall to contend with at Hershel's. Even though Grace had conflicting emotions on the Randall front, she agreed with Rick that the kid probably just got caught up with some crazy fuckers. After all. they had Shane and he tended to slip further and further from the man he'd once been. This world, it changed people. It brought out all their best and worst points with a vengeance. Shane seemed to flip back and forth between being a warm, caring man and being a total prick. You never knew which Shane you would get.

She was lucky that Daryl and Merle had both leaned toward the light side, a single wrong move and they could have gone the other way. If Merle had stuck with drugs or Daryl hadn't been given a chance to prove himself, they could have easily become as twisted as Shane.

"She's gonna scream down the house one uh these days." Daryl groaned, rolling Grace closer to him, arms wrapped firmly around her waist. It was reassuring to know that even in the dark, Daryl sought her out. Their "bedroom" was nearly pitch black without the keychain LED flashlight Grace kept on a stretchy band around her wrist. It helped to not have to find it when one or both of the girls woke-up screaming in the middle of the night.

"How's 'bout ya keep it down yerself over there," Merle grunted from his own bed. There wasn't much room in the office. Enough for their two beds after the useless computer desk and filing cabinets had been moved out to the shed. There was little need for tax records and insurance papers when those that enforced them were too busy eating road kill to knock on your door. There wasn't even enough room for the mattress and a bed for Merle. Instead, Grace and Daryl shared a pile of layered sleeping bags and blankets while Merle shared a smaller pile in the opposite corner. If he wanted to, Merle could usually throw something, socks and pillows being his favourite choice, and hit them with remarkable accuracy and enough force to usually quiet any sort of disturbance to his beauty rest.

Grace pressed herself closer to Daryl, resting her lips next to his ear so she could whisper to him and hopefully save herself a nasty sock to the side of the head. "They're doing better."

Daryl gave a snort, "Tha's better?"

"I was barely gone. The girls seem to want to take care of themselves. I'm starting to worry that they think they're a burden." Grace sighed. "Now let me get some sleep. It'll be sunrise in a few hours and I wanna head over to see everyone."

"You still wanna go?"

"Of course I do. It's been a week. They're sending that Randall kid out and I'd really like to give his leg a look over."

"Don't know why yer helpin' him."

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"We've got no clue who he is. Should jus' let Shane take care uh 'im. Get him outta our hair."

"He's been perfectly well behaved from what Merle's come back with. Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge him." The impact of a crusted ball of cotton hitting Grace's back made her jump, lurching in Daryl's arms. "HEY!"

"Hey yerself. This ain't a fuckin' slumber party. Ya wanna chatter, take it somewhere else." The older Dixon grumbled from across the room.

"How's 'bout yer the one who heads somewhere else? This here's our room. Lucky we've been sharin' so long."

"Thought ya loved me Darylina?" Merle teased his brother. "Ya use ta make me sleep on yer floor 'cause ya was scared uh the monsters. Ya didn't even have a fuckin' closet for them to hide in."

"Shut it, Merle." Daryl grabbed the sock and chucked it back across the room. "We ain't bein' tha' loud. Ya'll was up 'fore we started talkin'. I know how ya sleep."

"No one sleeps through a girl screamin' like that. I got a heart." Huffing, Merle shuffled around in his corner. "I'm headin' downstairs. Gonna take a shift on watch seein' as I can't sleep none in here."

The door cracked open and the light from a small lantern spilled into the room as Merle let himself out into the hallway. For just a moment Grace could clearly see Daryl's amused grin but when the door closed, the room went dark again. With his brother gone, Daryl relaxed back into their bedding, rubbing his face against Grace like a cat.

"Go to sleep, Daryl." She pushed lightly against him.

"Come on, how long's it been? We ain't been alone in a damn long time."

Sighing, Grace gave Daryl a light kiss, which he immediately tried to deepen. He even went so far as to try and chase her lips as she pulled back from him. "You haven't seen the girls."

Daryl exhaled and flopped back down. "I'd never hurt you. I ain't like that."

"No, you're not, so I'd really appreciate if you didn't push this." She pressed her lips quickly to his cheek, snuggling into him so he didn't think that she was somehow scared of him or that she in anyway doubted that he would never hurt her. She had never been more grateful that Daryl was who he was. He had been nothing but gentle and sweet with her, even around all these strangers. He and Merle had both been uneasy about staying at the other farm but Daryl was still always there when she needed him to be. Even Merle seemed to understand the seriousness of the attack. He and Daryl would wait until Grace was awake, go out hunting for the morning, and then split the meat between the two camps. It was usually Merle who drove back and forth between the Halverson house and Hershel's farm, leaving once their kills were gutted and skinned, making it back just as dark was falling.

Grace hadn't asked Daryl what he did when he wasn't hunting and his brother was gone. He hunted with Merle sure, but since getting thrown from the horse, it was decided that the no one would walk the woods alone any more so he wasn't out during that time. While Merle could outrun anything he ran into on his bike, when they went out on foot there was little to no escape route.

Her life seemed to revolve around sitting in the bedroom Mandy and Ash were sharing with whichever of the other women decided to join them. Mostly it was the moms who took the time; Joss, Sara, Meghan, even Etta struggled her way up the stairs to sit down with the girls for a few moments. didn't know what Daryl did during his free time in the afternoons when his brother was gone. She spent most of her time with the girls. They all felt a sort of responsibility to the girls. It was pure maternal instinct. Their mother was long dead and their father slipped in and out of consciousness. He hadn't even been awake long enough for them to tell him that his daughters were still alive and slowly recovering.

Jessie would stray upstairs to the bedroom occasionally, but she was nervous about saying or doing the wrong thing. Something that would set the girls off and cause a scene. Charlene avoided the room completely, taking full responsibility for the children when their mothers were busy. She was determined that the kids would be able to play outside and no matter what she was doing when they asked her, she would drop it to stand guard while they kicked a ball around the yard or played tag. Hide and seek was an inside only game though, they couldn't have the children hiding somewhere where they might find trouble. She could barely even acknowledge that Ashley and Mandy were in the house.

Grace on the other hand couldn't seem to forget they were in the house. Her nightmares had switched from walkers in the barn to being alone at rest stops and being attacked by faceless humans. Humans seemed to be a much worse threat now that she'd seen what a group of them could do. The worst part of it was not knowing when or if another group would even find them. There was no sign of Randall's group or the one who had attacked the girls. The boy wouldn't tell them much about his group other than that he'd only gotten caught up with them because he had no one else to turn to. Merle said the kid kept pretty quiet about things.

"Ya still ain't sleepin', are ya?" Daryl whispered, startling Grace.

Tiredly she shook her head. "Thinking."

"Well stop it. Ya wanted to get some sleep didn't ya?"

Grace exhaled, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Too much on my mind."

Daryl gave a small chuckle. Flattening his hands out on her back, he rubbed her shoulders gently. Grace gave a small whine at the contact and sank further into the bedding. Back rubs were just another one of those things that Daryl was good at but never advertised. As he continued to work out the tension in her muscles, Grace felt her eyes drooping. Just as she was starting to drift off, she heard Daryl chuckle again and whisper. "Was hopin' this would get me laid."

"Keep hoping," Grace smiled, absently kissing whatever skin lay next to her mouth.

"Ya sure?"

"Pretty sure but if you leave a message I'll get back to you when I'm conscious again."

"Fine," Daryl snorted but kissed Grace's hair and kept his fingers working their magic until she

really did fall asleep.

-break-

When Grace woke-up the next morning she was alone, buried in their bedding. Outside the window, the sun was bright and outside the door, the sound of people moving around the house was clear. Daryl had gotten up before her, leaving her to sleep. The blankets beside her were cool to the touch so she had definitely slept well though him leaving. Grace shrugged on a sweatshirt and wrapped one of the blankets around her shoulders. Because the days were still warm enough, they only left a fire burning at night for some extra warmth. It meant they slept comfortably at night but waking up in the early morning was sometimes a chilly affair.

Quietly, Grace let herself out into the hall, nearly running straight into Joss.

"Morning," Joss smiled sleepily. "Heading out?"

There was no indoor plumbing in the house. They hadn't lucked out the way Hershel's people had with extra fuel for the generators to keep the wells pumping water inside. There was a hand pump outside but it was easier to dig a latrine rather than to keep full buckets on hand to flush the toilet. Not to mention it was a waste of their clean water. That meant that the only bathrooms were the ones outside and with everything that had happened trips needed to be made using the buddy system.

"Was thinking about it." Grace smiled back. "Figured I'd just find Daryl."

"I don't know how you did it, but you've really lucked out with him. He's been great to have around here the last week." Joss was grinning but Grace felt a tug in her stomach.

She'd heard it all week. Daryl this, Merle that. For whatever reason the Dixon brothers were starting to gather a really cult following here. It made Grace's stomach flip, sort of half pleased, half uncomfortable. She'd always known that Daryl was a good person, rough around the edges but all around good. In the past little while she had seen Merle start to fill in the rather large gaps in his conscience. He wasn't Daryl, but in his own way Merle had settled into himself. This group had never seen an angry outburst or heard one of Merle's drug fueled tirades. The way Merle and Daryl were seen here was a lot closer to how Grace saw them. She never had to defend her choices or the men. A certain respect came from being willing to hunt for and protect them. It almost made Grace uncomfortable how much second-hand praised she received on their behalf. Very few people at the other camp seemed to realize just how far they had come. Everyone still walked on eggshells and expected the worst, especially from Merle. That judgment hadn't made an appearance here though. The disconnect between the two groups allowed for almost a perfect, fresh start. It would be interesting to see what would happen when they came together finally but for now, Grace got to be embarrassed receiving all the praise she knew Merle and Daryl weren't letting anyone give them.

Sucking up the courage to act normal, Grace smiled back. "Well no matter how great he is, if you want privacy, we'd better go outside quickly before he finds out I'm up. Otherwise he's going to want to come and protect us." Daryl didn't let Grace out of the house on her own very often and Merle didn't seem too pleased about the idea either. Since finding out about the girls and the father getting attacked, they'd both been extremely cautious when watching where the women went and if they were able to defend themselves.

-Break-

"I wonder if the cold nights are starting to keep them away." Grace stomped her boots as she came back into the house, leaning down to untie them.

"We don't see a lot of activity until later in the morning or even afternoon now." Joss slid her own boots off and set them neatly in line, Grace noted both Daryl and Merle's. At least she knew the boys were inside. They had respect for Etta and her house, neatly leaving their grubby work boots at the door when they came in and even on occasion leaving them on the porch when they were really muddy. It was a respect that Grace had seen the brothers give rarely and only with great caution. "What do you think that means about for winter?"

"If we get a cold year it'll be hard on us but just maybe it'll be hard on the walkers as well."

"Hopefully cold for everyone else too." The other woman whispered. "I just hope wherever that other group is, they've moved on. No one's seen anything..." She got quiet as they stepped into the kitchen but Grace knew exactly which other group she was talking about – the one that had attacked the girls and their father.

Meghan was standing at the counter, fixing a couple of bowls for her son and nephews, who were sitting quietly on the bench at the kitchen table. JJ and Owen sat off to one side while the younger boys, Caleb and Darius crashed action figures together. Grace had wondered more than once about asking Rick if Carl could spend an afternoon with them. It would be good for him to be around some boys his own age and JJ and Owen seemed just about ready to be done with having to play with their younger cousins.

"Hey, are you two just coming back from the hole?" Meghan smiled, adding dry cheerios to the bowls and chopped up peaches.

"Yeah are the little girls not up yet?" Joss asked about Keira, Alicia, and Seanassy, while kissing a protesting Owen on the head. Owen swatted his mom and whined in complaint. She just laughed though, brushing a hand over the tightly cut curls.

"Not yet. Seany was up last night and I think she might have woken them up. I figured I'd just let them sleep if they need it. Surprised to see you up, Grace. I hear you coming in and out of the room last night."

Grace shrugged, "I don't think anyone sleeps well anymore. I envy them being able to sleep in. I feel like I'm up at the slightest sound."

"Tell me about it. Between everything going on, I'm up half the night and there's no time to sleep during the day." Meghan stifled a yawn, "If it's not one thing, it's another. You want something to eat? There's plenty here."

"Are they Honey Nut," Merle's chipper voice came from the doorway, "Gracie don't like the plain ones." Merle's frame filled the kitchen doorway. Propped on his hip supported by his good arm was little Seanassy, thumb tucked in her mouth and her head resting against Merle's shoulder. Grace's jaw went slack but no one else seemed to notice anything out of the norm.

"Morning Merle," Meghan grinned widely at the man holding her toddler. "Hey there baby-girl."

"Was upstairs gettin' dressed an' she was fussin' in there so I figured I'd bring her down with me. Other two are still sleepin'." Merle shrugged, almost timidly.

The mom opened her arms to her daughter. "Hopefully it'll save us having cranky girls this afternoon. Come see mama, I'll get you something to eat."

"I got her." Merle offered, dropping into one of the empty chairs at the table. "Go on an' finish that."

It was like the Twilight Zone. A well-mannered Merle Dixon snuggling not only a toddler but a half-black one to boot. Grace couldn't help but find herself staring. A few months ago she wouldn't have believed it if someone had brought her photographic proof but there it was, clear as day in front of her. As she watched, Merle leaned over and scooped up a Jessie doll from the Toy Story movies that the boys had discarded for their action heroes. He offered it to the little girl who grabbed it firmly, twisting so she could look at it, her little lips quirking up around her thumb.

"Go on and grab a seat you two." Meghan offered to Joss and Meghan starting to put bowls down on the table. Grace twitched at the sudden voice breaking through her focus. As the four boys thanked Megan, Grace gave herself a shake and sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the table so she could watch Merle. Was there a metaphoric opposite to a car accident because this wasn't so terrible that she couldn't look away, it was more surreally wonderful.

She'd watched Merle with Claire and knew that one of the reasons he went back to the farm was to check up on her. He was protective in his own way. Offhandedly she had mentioned one night that maybe a visit from Beth and Claire would help the two girls in their care here feel normal again but at that point they hadn't known if the girls would even pull through. Merle had been quite firm on keeping them separate until they were better able to figure out Ash and Mandy. His excuse was that it was bad enough that Grace put herself in harm's way, and that they didn't need anyone else to be at risk. To tell the truth, Grace was sure that Merle felt responsible for the girl. She'd heard him talk about taking care of Daryl when his brother was little but Grace was sure that Merle was exaggerating. Now she could see that there might be a shred of truth under those tall tales. Given the opportunity Merle was, apparently, able to step outside of his typical distrust of strangers and intolerance of people in general to go well above and beyond.

And he was doing it all with a smile.

The bright sort of ear to ear grin that someone didn't even know they were given. The smile of someone truly enjoying themselves. Not a smirk or sneer. A warm, inviting smile. With his free hand, Merle had grabbed, appropriately, the bright green Hulk and was bashing away on the boys' toys as they fought back against him laughing the whole time. Just a few months ago, if Merle had grabbed a child's toy it would have been to break or take it. Now apparently, he not only snuggled toddlers, he played with action figures as well. Would wonders ever cease?

"Here you go." Meghan passed a bowl to her and Grace snapped her eyes away from Merle.

"Thanks," she managed to choke out.

The other woman smiled softly, "He's great with them isn't he? You'd never think it looking at him. I thought for sure he was a Hell's Angel or something; with the wings on his vest and that bike. He's been good though. They love him."

"I wish I had a camera." Grace muttered. "I've known him for years and I wouldn't have even thought to let a child near him."

Meghan nodded, "When Carol was here she was talking about some of the people at your camp. I can't see the man she described when she was talking about Merle. Daryl's a little standoffish but they're really good around here. How long have you known them exactly? I've been wondering how Merle was when Claire was younger."

"What'd you mean?" Grace was confused. She had talked about Claire a few times but she hadn't realized Merle had as well. "I don't know if Merle even really knew her when she was younger."

"That makes sense. He doesn't seem like the settle down and get married type. I just assumed that he must have been in the picture from how much he seems to pay attention to Seany in particular. He's forever carrying her around whenever she asks him too. I'm surprised his arms haven't fallen off."

"You know that Merle isn't Claire's father, right?" Grace's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What?"

"He's not her father. She's the daughter of one of Merle friends from back home but she's definitely not his daughter."

"Really?" Meghan seemed completely shocked. "I just assumed from how he talks about her. I mean he calls her "my girl" all the time and I know she's far too young for it to be anything non-platonic. I guess I just figured that he hadn't been around much or that she lived with her mother. I never would have guessed she wasn't even related to you. Wow!"

Wow was right. In the past five minutes, Grace's entire perspective on Merle Dixon had been flipped around so many times that thinking about it was sort of making her dizzy. Merle good with children? Merle a father? More specifically a good father who checked up on his child? Was that what Grace was seeing when she worried that Merle was getting too close with Claire? Was it a paternal sort of affection and worry?

It brought into sharp focus the relationships she had formed with everyone in the group, how difficult it had been to be separated from them after being stuck together for so long. Though she was more concerned about the mental state of the two teenagers upstairs, Grace thought daily about how Lori was coping with her pregnancy, if Carol still blamed herself for Ed's death, how Sophia was adjusting to her the new freedoms she and her mother had, how Claire was doing without them, how Carl was healing, how Andrea was handling missing Amy, if Beth was coming to terms with the new world, if Shane had started to return to his old self, if Rick was adjusting to having his family back… the list went on. She worried about each of them in turn and all at once sometimes. It was the same sort of responsibility she had felt for Merle when Grace was starting to realize that she really did want a relationship with Daryl. She'd used the word there before and it was no different now.

They were family.

Each and every member of that group and, now slowly, this one as well. These were people she loved and cared and worried for. Ones she wanted to help keep safe and fed and happy. She'd never had siblings, only a few cousins that she saw on special occasions. Grace had never been part of a large, multi-generation family but that was what they seemed to be becoming. There were no titles for them, no aunts and uncles or cousins and there it was only rarely that there was blood shared but after watching the Halversons interact for a week, that was how Grace saw their own group. Together they were one big family, responsible for each other, and if she could convince Hershel and Rick of that, then maybe there would be less of a struggle to come together. After all it was hard to say no to family.

-break-

"I missed everyone," Grace admitted as she and Daryl were getting into the truck. Merle had gone ahead already, driving down the road to draw any walkers that might be wandering away with the sound of the bike before they were attracted closer by the more difficult to maneuver truck. They'd tried to make the road more difficult to navigate by someone in a vehicle by moving wrecked or abandoned cars and making the area seem as if it had been completely abandoned. On foot it was fairly simple though there was always the threat of something lurking in the shadows. Merle had no problem navigating the mess on his bike. He'd been the one to construct most of the staged mess. He showed a remarkable ability to actually work together with the group. Merle had been a leader to them, a teacher, explaining the best ways to make it seem like the cars were left by accident.

"Ain't so bad here," Daryl shrugged, hauling himself into the truck. "Glad we found more decent folk. You couldn'ta run inta better people if ya tried."

"When do you think we'll start clearing out the subdivision? It'd be nice to have a place for everybody before winter. We don't have too much longer before it's too cold to move around like this." The mornings had been staying colder longer, it was noon most days before Grace was warm enough to take off her sweatshirt. Everyone stayed closer to the houses and buildings as well. The brothers had started complaining that there were fewer and fewer animals as the forests slowly shifted to winter.

"Dunno why Rick's so stuck on that farm. Hershel's a vet, not a fuckin' doctor. Yer better off than him ain't cha?"

"While I appreciate the vote of confidence, I'd have to give him the credit there. As far as human complications I'm not sure how much either of us can do but he's most definitely been to more births than I have. Between him, myself, and Carol I think we'd actually be able to manage it. Rick might have a point in wanting to stay on his good side."

"But ya'll could do it without him. Not sayin' it would be pretty but ya could, right? I mean ya was gonna have a baby yerself without a doctor."

Grace swallowed. What Daryl was saying was sort of true but they'd also still sort of hoped that someone would rescue them at some point. After everything had happened with Jenner and the CDC, that hope had gone away. Grace knew that Lori worried about there not being doctors and nurses in a proper hospital instead of the couple of women with almost no experience and a veterinarian in an old farm house. She'd never considered it for herself but it was something she would have to think about if she got pregnant again. "I guess."

"Shit," He muttered sucking in a breath. "Didn't think. Shouldn'ta brought up the baby. Yer in rough enough shape."

"It's not that," she insisted. "I just keep forgetting that there's a future. I don't even think of down the road because I know we'll handle it when we get there. I just want everything to be alright right now instead of giving it time to happen. I don't like not knowing. What if the group that attacked those girls is still around here? With us so far away, we'd never know that something was happening until it was too late."

"The girls are healing?" Daryl asked quietly, staring out at the road, driving carefully to avoid the cars.

"Physically. I can't even start to imagine what they're like emotionally. I'm not a therapist, Daryl. I just don't know what else I can do to help them. And their dad, he's barely there. I don't know if he's shutdown as a coping mechanism or if he has brain damage from everything that happened. I'm worried about leaving them but I hate not knowing with everyone else. If we were all in one place, I wouldn't have to pick." Even to Grace, her voice sounded strained. It was just too much worrying and stressing over everyone else and she felt caught in between her family and doing the right thing for these girls.

"Dunno what to tell you," Daryl cleared his throat. "Can't say it won't be hard or that it's gonna get fixed..."

"I don't need that. I just, thank you for putting up with me right now. I know I'm not doing the best job of paying attention to you or what you need." Suddenly Grace was overcome with guilt. She should have just slept with him last night. She would have enjoyed it, Daryl always made sure she got off at least once even if he was just looking for a quick fuck to release tension. She was ignoring him over these girls. After everything that he'd put up with and helped her through, she owed it to him to give a little instead of just taking all the time. It wouldn't have taken much effort to just sleep with him. "I'm sorry about last night."

"What'd ya mean?"

"We should have had sex. I shouldn't have been so selfish. It wasn't that big a deal."

"Carter," he growled, "stop it. Shit. That ain't what I was tryin' to do last night. Weren't tryin' ta guilt ya inta doin' somethin' ya didn't wanna. I jus', ah fuck it." Daryl slammed on the brakes and put the truck into park. "I don't know what the fuck I'm doin' anymore." He admitted, turning to her with a pained expression. "Ya gotta help me some 'cause I'm lost over this relationship stuff."

"You didn't do anything wrong though. I could have given a bit. It's been forever."

"Tha's jus' it. It ain't been tha' long. Not really." Daryl dragged his hands through his hair, turning it into a stuck up mess. "Ya always came to me before. Ain't been doin' much uh that lately. Guess I was feelin' left out. You've always had more friends than me but ya always took time out for jus' us two. I see ya an' I knowng yer busy and freakin' out over everythin' but I jus' missed ya coming ta me is all. There's always someone else, yer a people person an' I ain't. Yer always keepin' someone nearby an' last night when Merle walked out I jus' grabbed at tha' chance for it to be us two again. Shoulda known ya woulda come to me if ya'd wanted it."

He was miserable, that was easy enough to see, and it only made Grace regret the night before even more. She knew that Daryl doubted everything between them no matter how often she told him that she did need and want him. He needed to be shown and by focusing her own worry into caring for the girls, she'd completely forgotten to reassure Daryl. Grace slid across the seat, her hand stretching out to rest over the one Daryl was gnawing on nervously. "I love you," she whispered kissing his knuckles and then the little star. "It's always going to be you and me. Even if I seem like I'm not into things right now. I could never forget about you. I couldn't live without you."

"Don't say that!" Daryl scolded, his voice harsh. "I ain't always gonna be here. Shit happens, Carter. There's fuckin' dead people walkin' 'round. Somethin' happens to me I wanna know yer gonna be alright. Ain't no opting out."

"Shhhh," Grace leaned over to kiss him gently. "Didn't mean anything like that. I guess it's not so romantic in this world. Just know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If we get a week or if we have fifty more years, I will always want you. I just need to stop taking you for granted."

Daryl's lips quirked up, "Ya can take me however ya damn well please."

"Shut-up," lightly Grace smacked his arm. "I just have to remember that you aren't a mind-reader any more than I am. If I want you to open up about things like this then I've gotta talk to you about stuff that's bothering me as well. That's what relationships are about. Next time I seem distracted and you get me alone, try asking me about it. Knowing us, we'll end up having sex anyway. Just don't open with it."

"Tol' ya'll I weren't no good at relationships."

"We both need practice. It's strange enough that we're trying this without everything else going on. There's going to be a learning curve." She smiled up at him cheekily. "I'm prescribing more alone time for the both of us, when we can manage it, for whatever it is we need, if that's talking or sex or both."

"Merle can sleep somewhere else tonight," Daryl pointed out. "Fuckin' cockblock he is."

"Or we spend the night in the truck. We've just got to make it work."

Daryl nodded, tugging on her arm and pulling her against his chest, "Agreed," He gave her a quick peck. "More us time when we can get it."

"Dare," Grace warned, but Daryl had already dipped into scrape his teeth against her neck. His stubble traced a path up to her jaw as Daryl attempted to devour her. Grace found herself pressing closer, suddenly all her reluctance was gone. It would be quick and messy but they could do this here like horny teenagers. Careful not to knee anything, she swung a leg over his lap to straddle him, pressing down enough to show him exactly what she was thinking. Daryl hummed in appreciation, grinding up into the seam of her jeans. The hand that had been holding hers, slid up her arm and over her shoulder to the back of her head. Then suddenly both of Daryl's hands were tangling in her hair, pulling her head down to his. His mouth was insistent, tongue sweeping into her mouth to twist and slide against hers. Grace whined and pressed back just at hard into him, hips rocking.

One of Daryl's hands wasn't holding her in place against him anymore. Instead it had trailed downward to cup her breast, tweaking her nipple through her shirt and bra, rubbing and kneading. The space was tight, Grace was a lot closer to Daryl than she usually liked to be, the steering wheel ghosting against her back if she shifted wrong, but they both needed it.

She really had been wrong to turn him down the night before. Sex may not fix everything but it sure as hell made the difficult things a lot easier to handle.

Grace worked her hands down between them trying to find Daryl's belt buckle. All she had to do was get it undone then work his pants down enough. She'd have to figure out a way to shift her own off. It wasn't the first time they'd done this, for sure, but usually they were coming home from a bar and she was wearing a skirt. There weren't many reasons to wear a skirt anymore but Grace was missing them right now.

Daryl was panting hot against her cheek now. Roughly he lifted Grace, dumping her onto the seat next to him and practically throwing himself on top of her. Her breath rushed out with the force but Daryl wasn't letting up. He grabbed her shirt pushing it upwards, pressing his face into the skin between her breasts, biting at the fabric holding the two cups of her bra together and liking at the skin under it.

"Can't take everything off," she warned. "Not enough time and we're exposed out here."

Daryl mumbled something that Grace only half caught as "I'll show ya exposed" before he popped the button on her jeans with well practiced ease and shoved her jeans down. They stopped at her knees as they bunched, fabric stopped by her boots.

"Boots," she reminded him as he seemed to have completely forgotten them.

"Fuck," he growled pulling up first one leg, then the other, taking the boots and pant legs off at the same time. His own pants were sliding now, the light grey briefs underneath showing a good couple of inches above his waist band. Grace lifted her hips and shimmied out of her own underwear, completely naked from the waist down now on the bucket seat of Daryl's truck. Daryl's smirked as he brought leaned across her, reaching to open the glove compartment and pull out a couple of stashed condoms. He took one, leaving the rest for another time and slammed the compartment closed again. Working his own pants down to his knees, Daryl push his underwear down, grabbing his dick eagerly as it bobbed out.

His tongue poked out in concentration as Daryl ripped open the package and rolled the condom down over himself. The moment it was in place, Grace pushed him back into the driver's seat, sliding a leg over him to settling in his lap. Daryl groaned as they bucked against each other.

"I want you," Grace panted, voice rough.

Daryl growled back, "Lemme figure this out then. Fuckin' tight."

"Me or the truck."

Daryl snarled then, yanking her hard against him and pushing himself into her roughly. Grace gasped at the intrusion. Whatever he had been talking about, it was a tight fit. He'd always been pleasingly above average but somehow Daryl seemed larger than usual. There was a satisfying ache that she was sure would remind her for a while that they had fucked in the truck. Grace's mind tried to sort through when the last time they had actually had sex. Between everything that had happened, Grace and Sophia's separation, Daryl healing from his fall and now the girls, it had to be close to three weeks.

Daryl's head rested against her shoulder, tongue darting out to lick at the space behind her ear. "Too much?" He whispered, stubble harsh against her cheek.

Grace sighed and shifted, pushing against his shoulders so she could lift up, "OH!" she moaned as she slid back down around him, "I'm good. It's been way too long though. Gotta remember how to do this."

"Yer doin' pretty well right now."

"Oh really?" Grace rose up on her knees and slid back down trying to squeeze his dick as tightly as she could.

"Fuck," Daryl spluttered, "yeah, I'd say ya ain't forgotten too much."

"Forgot how good you feel," she gasped, meeting the buck of Daryl's hips. Grace moaned and Daryl snaked an arm up to twist in her hair, tugging her mouth down on to his and nipping almost viciously.

"Less talkin', more mmmm," Daryl groaned into her mouth. "Can't stay out here forever. Ain't safe."

She caught his fingers, leaned back against the steering wheel and guided his hand down between their bodies. "Better be quick then." Daryl pushed his fingers against her, rubbing furiously against her clit as she rode him. Already her muscled were tensed and ready, her breath catching in her throat with each twist of Daryl's fingers. She only had to drop herself down onto him a few more times before the first waves of her orgasm rolled through her. As soon as he felt her cumming, Daryl twisted their bodies, flipping her to the side and laying her back on the passenger seat so he could pound into her, snapping his hips. With a few more uneven thrusts Daryl came with a grunt, face pressed into her neck.

Grace wrapped her legs and arms around him, holding Daryl tight to her body as they both came down from their high, panting heavily. A quick, messy fuck in the front seat of his truck that ended with Daryl pressed hard into her was exactly what they'd needed. It was odd how in the middle of some much craziness a simple quickie just made everything seem less urgent. Daryl rubbed up against her shifting and grumbling but holding on tightly as if he didn't plan on moving.

They had to get going though. Not that anyone knew when they were supposed to be getting to the other farm but they were waiting for them and somewhere up the road ahead of them was Merle. Fuck, Merle. He knew about when they had planned on leaving and would no doubt start to wonder if it took them too long to show up. What if he wondered what was taking so long and circled around? He'd laugh his ass off if he found them stopped in the middle of a deserted back road covered in sweat, still half dressed and well fucked.

"Merle," Grace gasped, pushing at Daryl.

Daryl looked down at her, his expression betrayed. "Tha fuck Grace?!" He pushed her back, struggling to move her away from him. "M'Daryl."

"No, fuck, I know that, Dare," she struggled to sit up.

Daryl grimaced as he slipped from her, his forehead wrinkled in confusion, eyes squinting. "Tha hell ya talkin' 'bout?" He slumped back into his seat.

"Your brother is waiting for us."

"So?" He spat back, clearly frustrated.

"So when he shows up here and your pants are around your knees it's not going to be pretty. I'd rather avoid that." She bent down and picked her underwear off the floor turning it the right way around so she could slip them up her legs.

Daryl scowled, tugging the condom off and rolling down the window to drop it outside. "Coulda said it different. Ain't right you shoutin' 'bout Merle after we..." he grumbled, lifting his hips so he could tug his pants back into place. Harshly he tightened his belt.

Grace couldn't help but bite back her smile. He was being such a crank about it. She got why he was upset but she hadn't exactly been thinking clearly. It just came out. That he even thought for a moment she would shout Merle's name in passion rather that frustration was hilarious. "Hey," she crawled over to him. Resting her cheek against his shoulder she snuggled her face against his neck. "I love you." She purred. "Only you." Trying to distract him she licked along his ear. "It's not my fault I can't think straight after you fuck me like that. That I cum so hard my brain scrambles and I can't put words together. Whose fault would that be hmmm?"

Daryl swallowed hard and reached for the keys in the ignition. "Put yer pants back on."

Ouch, that hurt. Complete rejection. "I really didn't mean it."

"Fuck, Grace, put yer pants back on before we end up doin' it again." Daryl snapped, hands grabbing out for her to pull her in for a harsh kiss. When he pulled back and licked his lips, he was grinning. "For the love of God, put 'em back on."

"Fine," she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, falling back into her seat and struggling to get her pants on as the truck started to move forward again.

They were almost past the pile-up when Daryl spoke again, eyes still straight ahead, "Yer damn lucky I love you."

-break-

Merle was sitting on the front porch when they pulled into the yard. As they were getting out of the truck, he jumped down off the stairs and hollered, "Took ya damn long enough!"

"I's a truck Merle. Can't go flyin' 'round way ya do."

"Let Gracie drive. Better driver than you anyway."

"Fuck off, Merle." Daryl flipped up the back of the truck pulling out the tarp he'd rolled around the meat he was bringing with him. "Where's Rick?"

"In the house with the good doctor." Merle chuckled, "I'm gonna take Gracie to see the kids a'right? Carol's got 'em out looking fer eggs in the chicken shack. They wanna see her."

Daryl gave Grace a quick glance to make sure she was okay with it before he nodded. "Meet ya there?" he asked.

"Yeah sure. I wanna see them too. See you in a bit then." Ignoring both Merle and Daryl's discomfort, Grace gave the younger Dixon a quick peck and shoved him gently away from her. Daryl's cheeks were pink as he turned toward the house.

"Come on Gracie-girl," Merle smirked, "le's bring ya ta see the kiddies." He glanced over his shoulder at Daryl's form as his brother carried the tarp up to the house. "Glad ya finally made up."

"What'd you mean?"

Merle looked at her confused, "Ain't ya been fightin'? Daryl's been a little bitch tha past few days. Figured he weren't gettin' none."

Grace's eyes went wide. "Merle!"

"What? Can't tell me he ain't whiney when he ain't gettin' laid."

"That's none of your business." She kicked a rock out of her way. "No, we weren't fighting."

"Weren't fuckin' neither," Merle pointed out cheerfully.

"It's none of your business, Merle."

"An' yer cranky no matter what," he raised an eyebrow in smug challenge.

"I hate you," she gave him a hard shove, but she was laughing. He was wrong about her being cranky. Suddenly she was a fantastic mood, which she would not admit to him but probably did in fact have a lot to do with getting laid finally. A little bit of intimacy went a long way.

Her push must have caught Merle off guard because he actually missed a step and stumbled a bit. "Hey!" he protested, "Ain't gotta be so rough!" As if she had actually hurt him, he rubbed his arm with a pout.

"Baby," she teased, walking on toward the chicken coop.

"Bitch," he shot back, catching up with her in a few short steps.

"Speaking of children," Grace mused aloud, "what's your game?" It wasn't accusatory, she was honestly just curious about what she had seen.

"Huh?" Merle looked at her with a confused expression that almost perfectly matched Daryl's from earlier in the truck.

She just shrugged, "This morning with Seanassy. You don't even like kids."

"I like some kids," He protested forcefully. "Ain't playin' no games. They's good people Gracie. Like being 'round there 'cause they treat me damn well better than mos' folk here do. Weren't for tha condition uh those girls I'da moved Claire-girl over there the second we started stayin' there. I don' like it here." He lifted his hand. His wrist was healed enough from the cuffs that he didn't need to wear a bandage anymore but the skin was still pink and new. More than likely he'd have another scar there. "These people don't think I'm worth shit. I fucked up too much."

Grace bit her lip. It was true really. While she was coming around to accepting Merle and all his faults, few people in this group were. He was still a loose cannon to them, ready to blow at any time. "You could try fixing things."

Merle chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Reputation like that dies hard, Gracie. I've been worthless my whole life. Dixon name is garbage. Why else ya think Daryl's always followed ya 'round like a puppy. Ya never listened ta the shit people said 'bout him."

She shook her head, "People change. You've changed a lot. I always thought you were a good for nothing asshole but you've managed to turn that around. Other people will see it!"

"Nah, too much damage done. It'll always stick in their minds tha' I was methed out an' locked up on tha' roof. Can't go makin' new first impressions. Bes' if I jus' keep ta myself 'round here 'till we gotta move on." He shrugged but Grace could tell it bothered him. She'd never seen Merle bothered by something someone thought about him. Hell, she'd never seen him try to make a good impression but clearly he was trying. He reminded her of Daryl when she had first met him, how nervous Daryl had been about how people looked at him but stubborn enough to not let it show. All he had needed was a friend willing to give him a chance. Maybe if she'd started paying a little bit of attention to what was going on around her, she would have noticed that Merle was trying a lot harder than she'd ever guess he could and that Daryl was feeling rejected.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Merle froze, absolutely confused. "Ya'll get hit on the head or somethin'?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm just... I'm sorry I didn't try harder to make them accept you. If I hadn't have been so stuck in the past, maybe I could have seen how much you've changed. I should have given you another chance instead of judging you all the time. It just made things worse. You're right, they won't forget who you used to be easily but you're not that man any more. You can be better than that – you're better than that."

As if he hadn't quite heard her right, Merle shook his head slowly. "The hell, Gracie? Didn't know yah cared that much." He gave a forced laugh as if he was trying to keep his calm. Merle's face stretched into his typical lecherous grin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say ya liked me or somethin'." He raised a sneaky eyebrow.

It was fake though, a show to put her off her game and get her off of this topic before Merle was forced to talk more about his feelings or how out of place he felt in the group. He was doing it for her, for Daryl, for Claire. Merle needed his people to be safe and the best way to do that right now was to keep them all together and to do that he needed to keep his own insecurities in check. "Like you?" Grace shook her head, the same fake lying smile on her face that Merle had on his. "Who said I like you? I fuckin' hate you!"

Merle laughed, tossing an arm around Grace's shoulder. Pulling her into his side for a one armed hug, he gave her a crooked grin. "Feelin's mutual, bitch." The half-a-hug was short, a barely there reminder of how far they'd come. He'd never shown her affection like that before. It had always been a mystery to her why Daryl kept his older brother around through all the bullshit but if this was the Merle that Daryl had known was underneath that entire time, it made a lot more sense why he fought for him. It would have been nice to know him before all the drugs and hard living had worn him down, though she doubted that there had ever been a time when Merle was an innocent child.

They walked side by side the rest of the way to the shed. Inside, over the sounds of displeased chickens, Carol and the children were talking quietly. Grace knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open, "hey you guys, find anything good?"

"Grace!" Sophia dove at her. The little girl hit Grace's midsection and knocked her backwards a step. "You're back!"

"I am. Did you miss me?"

"Uh-huh, Claire's no fun anymore. She just plays with Beth and Jimmy." Sophia rolled her eyes, flipping her head in a way that said she was turning quickly into a teenager.

Carl shook his head, "they don't play. They hang-out. Anyway, we play." He threw her a look of defiance that clearly said, am I not good enough anymore?

"I know that. You're not a girl though!" Sophia protested, tossing her hands up into the air.

"S'nothin' against ya, kid. Jus' how women are." Merle leaned against the side of the shed. "We stickin' 'round here or we gonna talk somewhere that ain't got shit on tha ground?"

"Merle," Grace scolded lightly and Sophia looked down at her shoes with disgust. "You're fine," the woman reassured her before turning to the girl's mother. "And how's Carol?"

"Getting along," Carol gave her a gracious smile. "Not the same not having you around here," she chuckled. "Sometimes I used to go days without out seeing friends. Between Sophia's after-school activities and," Carol swallowed, clenched her jaw and stuck her chin out, "and Ed, I just didn't seem to have the time."

Sophia was staring at her mom with a look of betrayal, as if even mentioning her abusive father would bring him back. Grace ignored the comment. "Tell me about it. Sometimes I think I was lucky to work at a bar because at least I saw people all shift and it made me feel like I socialized when I got home and just crashed. I don't know how you managed it with a kid. I never seemed to have time."

"We're so used to spending every spare minute with people or at least knowing where everyone is." Carol nodded with a chuckle. "I wish we had Facebook or something. At least we could see updates when you're... at the other farm."

"Not much different there than here." Grace ignored the pause. She knew what Carol wanted to ask but wouldn't in front of the children. "Looking out for people, finding food, laundry. Same thing, different day."

"Carol, can we pick one now?" Carl interrupted, his eyes darting around the barn half with excitement and half with nervous energy.

"Pick one what?" Grace wanted to know.

Carol frowned a little, "Hershel says we can have chicken tonight. Celebration for your visit and Randall being well enough to leave. We're going to cook it while Shane and Rick are gone." Delicately she wrinkled her nose. "I just don't like the thought of choosing which one. Seems cruel. We feed them and come in here and take their eggs and then we eat one."

"An' i's damn tasty. Go on boy," Merle ran his tongue over his teeth. "Pick one an' I'll show ya how ta pluck it an' gut it."

"Really?" Carl jumped with excitement. "I get to help?"

"If ya ain't in the way."

"I don't know," Carol started shaking her head. "Maybe that's not such a good idea."

This was it. The chance Grace should have taken weeks ago to help Merle fit into the group. And damn was he ever trying, offering to take Offica' Friendly's son out plucking chickens. It figured he would start small, the children were more forgiving, they'd barely seen him after all, and Carol would be too once she realized that he was changing. Grace hated to say it but if Carol could stay with Ed, was it really such a far stretch for her to see the potential good in Merle? "I think it'll be fine." Grace stepped in. "I don't want to be the one picking my fingers raw! If you want to do it, you two can sit on the porch and pluck chickens. We'll need at least two with everyone here."

"YES!" Carl pumped his fist in the air.

Merle shot Grace a brief, grateful look before turning back to the boy, "gotta be quiet though. Ain't no need ta scare 'em 'fore we eat 'em jus' mean tha' way."

"Yes, sir." Carl nodded, head bobbing quickly.

"Come on, Carol. I'll help you and Sophia bring those eggs up to the house. I want to see everyone else." Grace carefully led the two away from the shed, leaving Carl and Merle alone. As she pulled the door, she gave Merle a stern look. This was his chance. Who knew how long it would be before Lori realized her son wasn't with Carol any more. Who knew what would happen if Rick and Shane realized what was going on. Don't be stupid, Grace mouthed before latching the door. She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping silently that she hadn't made a really stupid call. "So did you get a lot of eggs?"

"Yeah," Sophia held out her basket, not aware of the daggers her mother was shooting at Grace. "Look!"

"Wow," Grace grinned. As long as she played it cool, hopefully no one would cause too much of an argument. "Let's get them into the house."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

"Carol tells me you think it's okay leaving my son alone with Merle." Lori's eyes were flashing red, her face a nasty snarl of judgment. Grace looked up from the shirt she was curled up sewing and blinked trying to keep her calm.

"They're on the porch."

"I know where they are!" Lori spat back. "I just don't know why you think it's _OKAY!_"

Grace sighed. When they'd gotten back to the house, Rick and Shane had already pulled out with Randall, not wanting to make a scene of it. Grace could understand that. If you didn't say goodbye that meant for sure you were coming back. They'd drive the boy 18 miles out, find somewhere good to drop him and then be back in time for dinner. "He's fine."

"He's with Merle."

"I can understand why you're upset but he really is fine." It was a struggle to keep Lori calm but if she wanted this plan to work, then Grace needed to keep her own temper. No one was going to give Merle a chance on their own so she'd force them. It was a little bit brutal to use Carl and Lori as her first test subjects but it would come as the biggest shock to the group and hopefully become the start of something.

"That man is dangerous! It's one thing that you subject yourself to him but Carl is my son, _my child_, and you have no right making choices for me. You don't get to do that. That's not your right!"

"Lori, it's been half an hour that they've been out there." Even with trying to keep her calm, Grace needed something to show Lori just how ridiculous she was being. "What took you so long?"

Lori stuttered to a halt. "I, uh, I..."

"You didn't even know he wasn't with Carol anymore, did you?" The question was gentle but held just enough force to make Lori hang her head in shame.

"No," the dark haired woman admitted softly. There were tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm a horrible mother aren't I?"

"You are not!" Grace protested, putting her sewing to the side and pulling Lori down on to the loveseat beside her.

"His father's out there dragging some dangerous man all around the back roads of Georgia and I'm in here moping and pregnant. I don't pay enough attention to him. I'm so distracted."

"It's alright Lori." But the other woman was already on a roll.

"You watched out for Sophia and she's not even yours. You brought her back safe and sound and I can't even watch my own son when he's right here on the farm." Lori reached up and wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Ugh, I cried like this when Rick and I sat down to tell Carl about the baby. I'm such a mess. Stupid hormones!"

"You need to start taking care of yourself. Carl's fine. We can go out and watch if you want. I'll go with you and we can sit on the porch but he's really fine. I promise."

"There's a meth-head babysitting my baby and showing him god knows what," Lori scoffed. "That's not fine."

"I just checked on them. You can see them through the front window. Merle's showing Carl how to pluck and gut a chicken and Daryl's cleaning a second one. Honestly, come see." As softly as possible Grace lifted Lori's hand and pulled the other woman to her feet. She led her over to the window and pulled the curtain back just enough to show her. Merle had started a small campfire on the front lawn and borrowed a large pot from Maggie to scald the chickens in. While Daryl made quick work of the first animal, Merle took his time patiently showing the preteen how to take care of the second chicken. He'd even let the boy cut the head off, much to Carl's delight and Grace's disgust. But they really were fine. The chickens pretty much just looked like regular store bought chickens now, coupled with the pile of extra meat and a small brown sack of feathers. The three were outside cleaning off the porch now.

Lori's face scrunched up in confusion. It was clearly not the scene she'd expected. Merle wasn't out there teaching the boy to make moonshine or find a good vein or something equally disturbing. Obviously she hadn't even looked outside before flying at Grace. "What are those?" Finally Lori pointed to the plastic tray of others that was sitting neatly on the table beside the prepared chickens.

Grace winced. Lori sounded so totally disgusted that she almost didn't want to tell her the truth. Still, it was better to explain than to have her wonder. "Extra parts. Daryl's probably going to make soup stock out of it. That's what he does with the wild birds. I guess it's the same thing."

"Extra parts?"

"Necks, backbone, gizzard, feet... heads..." Yup it sounded disgusting but that was the truth of using the whole bird and not letting anything go to waste. They couldn't afford to be wasting good meat when food was so scarce.

Lori groaned, looking a little bit green. "And Carl..."

"Well he's not inside, which means he was obviously being helpful. I can't see either of the boys letting him stay around if he was in the way."

"And I thought it was bad when Shane was getting him to catch frogs." Lori groaned again, shaking her head slowly.

Just then Carl spotted them staring at the window and began waving wildly. Scooping up one of the chicken he held it up for his mom to see. His voice was muffled through the glass but Grace could hear him clearly enough, "MOM, MOM! LOOK! Look what I did! Merle helped! This is my chicken! Look at it! MOM!"

Daryl rolled his eyes at the boy's over excitement but Grace could see that both of the Dixons had small shy smiles on. They were proud. Merle especially kept looking at Carl with a sort of dazed look. "Let's go out and see." Grace suggested.

Nervously Lori nodded her head in agreement. "I guess. It's better than cooked meat. That still makes me sick to my stomach."

"Maybe the baby will be a vegetarian," Grace joked.

"Not with..." Lori paused, "not with this group." She gave a forced laugh. Grace was sure that the other woman just caught herself before saying something about Shane being the baby's father.

Grace laughed along, pretending she hadn't noticed the slip. "I don't even want to think about how Daryl and Merle are going to influence my future kids. I'm going to end up with crossbow wielding, squirrel chasing, foul mouthed rednecks."

"You're not endearing me to the idea of them being around Carl," Lori pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"Guess not," Grace shrugged, giving Lori a cheeky smile, "let's go outside before I put my foot in my mouth anymore."

The two women let themselves on the front porch and were greeted by Carl, who bounded up to them waving a chicken foot around. Lori gagged a little but plastered on a grin for son. "Wow honey."

"I pulled the yellow stuff right off of it." Carl boasted. "Daryl showed me how on his and then I did my own."

"That's great, honey. Are you going to make soup with them?"

"Yeah," Carl's eyes went wide. "How did you know? I didn't even know. I just thought we'd throw 'em away 'cause who eats feet right?"

"I'm a mother. Mothers just know these things." Lori nodded.

"Wanna help us cook it?"

Lori looked torn between helping her son out and knowing that she was going to end up sick from the smell of cooking meat. "I don't know, Carl..."

"I don't think the baby likes meat too much." Grace offered.

Carl nodded wisely. "It's going to make you sick isn't it? Just like at breakfast. That's okay. You can just try some at dinner instead of helping us cook it. Maybe Carol will help out. She can show Sophia and me how to cook it. It looks just like it came from the store now. I bet she's cooked chickens from the store before."

"I bet she can." Grace smiled, down at the boy before shooting Lori a look. "Maybe your mom can go with you to find her. I'll help Merle and Daryl clean up the rest of the porch."

"Cool! Come on Mom. Let's go find Carol. She was gonna get some vegetables from the garden to go with supper. Maybe Hershel has some potatoes. We can have mashed potatoes." Carl dragged his mother off towards the garden. "You could help peel them. That won't make you sick right?"

"Tha' kid's got too much energy." Daryl shook his head. "Gonna get himself in trouble."

"You was the same way at his age. How old's he Grace? Ten? Eleven." Merle rubbed his pen knife clean on a towel.

"Twelve. He'll be thirteen by the time the baby is born."

"He'll start settlin' down soon. He already ain't as quick ta take off as he was back at the quarry."

"He's trouble." Daryl rolled his eyes again. "Always gettin' in ta somethin'."

"Ain't so bad," Merle shrugged. "Sorta nice havin' a kid 'round here. Kids ain't fucked up over this shit like adults are."

Grace shook her head, "He'll grow up fast if things don't change around here. He's lucky he had most of his childhood. Just look at JJ. He's only a year older than Carl. Carl is luck that he's been sort of sheltered from everything but give him a few months. People will start forgetting to treat him like a child once that baby comes, maybe sooner. He's already protective of Lori."

"I was younger than him when Daryl was born. Tha's jus' what big brothers do." Merle reached over and grabbed Daryl in a headlock, messing with his hair and letting the other man struggle to get free.

"Fuck off! Ya was a shitty big brother."

"Course I was shitty, I changed yer damn diapers. Ya didn't hol' still. Not even then!"

"Git offa me!" Daryl flailed helplessly and Merle laughed loudly.

"Struggle all ya want baby brother. I've seen yer junk. Ya ain't got the balls ta take me."

"Got bigger fuckin' balls 'en you!" Daryl pushed off of Merle, finally twisting himself free. He took a swing at Merle's face which his brother blocked. Not to be dissuaded, Daryl tackled his brother, the two of them hitting the porch rail. They bounced off, arms locked and bodies twisting.

"What the hell?" Glenn stuck his head out the front door, bewilderment clear on his face.

Grace laughed and shrugged, "They're fighting over who has the bigger balls."

"What?!"

"Merle said Daryl didn't have the balls to take him. Now they're wrestling."

"Maggie's worried they're going to kill each other. She saw them through the window and sent me out to check up on them." Glenn scowled. "Not sure what I was supposed to do if they were going to kill each other."

Grace picked up the tray that held all the chicken parts and passed it to Glenn. "If they wanted to, nobody could stop them. Here take this to the kitchen." She picked up the second tray that actually held the two plucked and gutted birds. "Boys, when you're done, finish cleaning up," she called over her shoulder.

"'Kay." Daryl grunted as Merle's fist connected with his chest. "Son of a bitch!"

"Tha's yer mother too, Darylina."

"An' she was a bitch." Daryl punched Merle's arm as they separated, panting and shaking themselves out. "Don't fuckin' call me that."

"I'm going inside." Grace said a little louder.

"Maybe tha's where ya got it from." Merle shoved his brother. "Whiney little bitch, I barely touched ya!"

"Just go," Grace told Glenn who was looking at the took brother's with concern. "We can bring this into the kitchen."

"Are they going to be alright?" He nodded toward Merle and Daryl who were now shouting at each other about who was the bigger bitch.

"Yeah, that's pretty normal. They won't hurt each other too badly and nothing will get solved but it'll die down in about ten, fifteen minutes. Then they'll both go off to nurse their sore egos. Happens all the time."

"Okay," Glenn bit his lip, forehead wrinkled with worry. "If you say so." Then he looked down at the tray he was holding for the first time. "Uh Grace, are those chicken feet?"

* * *

The chicken roasting in the oven slowly started to fill the house. There would be chicken, mashed potatoes, garden vegetables, and gravy to slather over everything. Grace hadn't eaten that well in weeks, not since the fish fry at the quarry and that had ended horribly. They were safe now though, or as safe as they could be, the thick walls of the farmhouse and an armed guard on duty 24/7. Even the afternoon was still warm. Warm enough for them to eat on the porch which meant no one had to be left outside to eat alone as they kept watch.

As safe as they felt, the threat of walkers was higher now. The swamp at the edge of the property that used to suck walkers in like a glue trap was slowly drying as summer drew to a close. What was once a murky bog was slowly turning into a sand pit and would stay like that until the spring melt the next year. It meant that a whole side of the farm was much more exposed now. Luckily everyone was slowly moving into the house. In town, Glenn and Maggie had said there were more walkers too. They'd gone for a run a couple of days earlier to clear out the rest of the supplies from the pharmacy for the winter. Much of it wouldn't survive without proper storage and they knew now that anything they left could just as easily be used by people who would try to hurt them. It wasn't just a matter of looking out for their own. They needed to learn to be downright selfish.

Grace had sorted through the supplies sitting down with Carol to explain patiently the things the other woman didn't understand. They'd stripped everything from the pharmacy; from bandages and Advil to lip balm and day planners. Some of the medication was packed right into boxes to be taken out and dumped. Without refrigeration it was useless and well beyond expired. A bunch of the other "good stuff" was missing, taken by looters in the long weeks following the outbreak. Though Carol hadn't known what everything was, she'd patiently sat and documented everything in tight neat lines in a spiral bound notebook; an inventory of everything they had stored in the house for medical supplies, including the remains on Hershel's veterinary supplies.

As she slowly flipped through the pages Grace was more and more impressed. "This is amazing!" she repeated for what felt like the 100th time. "We should have one of these for food and weapons as well."

Carol shrugged, "Not really enough food to do it and everyone keeps their own weapons."

Grace shook her head in agreement. "That's true. When we're all settled in the subdivision we can start bringing supplies back and gather a stockpile. Then we'll need an inventory. We can gather everything we need and just store it in an empty house. There's more than enough houses for it."

"Wouldn't that be a target? All anyone who finds us would have to do is head straight for there."

"We'll be too well guarded for anything like that to happen. There'll be forty of us all together and that's if we don't pick up any more stragglers. It'll be a certified Fort Knox. We'll even be able to send the kids out and not worry."

Carol stared at Grace for a silent moment. "You're thinking of trying again aren't you?" Grace started to shake her head but Carol stopped her with a knowing grin. "Don't lie. I can see it."

"We'll have to see how Lori's pregnancy goes. She's our biggest risk right now. Carl was breech and they couldn't turn him."

"Yeah but once we settle, we can set up a little clinic and everything. I know you've thought about it. I would too. Ed and I tried for years and all we have is Sophia. It was enough for me, she's my little miracle baby, but if I didn't have her, I'd probably still want to try." She reached over and patted Grace's arm. "Just don't rush things. It wasn't easy on you or Daryl and you need to give yourself time to heal. I didn't and wonder if I didn't cause more trouble for myself in the long run."

Grace swallowed hard. It was strange to feel so transparent but Carol had been there before, at least where the miscarriage was concerned. No one had tried to start a family in the middle of Armageddon. A walker infested world was no place for a baby and as much as Grace wanted to forgo contraception and tell Daryl that they should just let whatever happened happen, they weren't in a secure place. This farm was short term. There were no walls or barricades to keep anything that wanted to from just wandering straight up to the house. It wouldn't be long before either someone or something made an appearance on the farm. Until they were settled for sure, it wasn't right to start thinking of a family. There were enough children to worry about that already existed. "I can't help but wonder what if."

"It only makes sense. A baby is a promise for a future. You started thinking about having a family."

"No, that's not quite it. I think I wonder what if because I'm guilty that I'm not more sad. I wouldn't want to be in Lori's shoes right now. We still thought we would be rescued when I was pregnant. There wasn't the fear of what if something went wrong. We were wondering when we would find safety. I'm glad in a way that I'm not pregnant. It's… it's not the right time for a baby and I wouldn't want to have to worry. I'd feel selfish for putting everyone at risk but whenever I think about being okay with losing the pregnancy I feel selfish for not being willing to risk myself for my child."

"It's a vicious cycle," Carol reached out and hugged Grace, who had suddenly found her eyes watering.

"I just wish it was easy," she sniffed. "I wish we could just be safe again."

"Things are never that simple. There would have been something even if the walkers had never happened. Life isn't about taking away one bad thing. If you want a child, it'll happen. Not today or tomorrow but one day we won't have to live like this. We've got a plan and we'll figure ourselves out."

"I suppose so," Grace laughed, wiping her eyes. "It's hard to do anything but imagine." Across the yard, headlights danced along the fence. Shane's car drove down the road a little faster than it had left. "I guess now I won't have to imagine supper. It smells amazing. Now that Rick and Shane are back we can get everyone served." Carol didn't respond right away though. The short-haired woman's expression was hard to read. "What's the matter?" Grace questioned.

"There's a third person in the car."

"What?" Grace looked closer. As the car drove up to the house, Grace counted Rick in the driver's seat, Shane riding shotgun and a bound person sitting up in the trunk, wedged between gas cans. "Is that Randall?"

"I don't know." Carol stepped down off the porch, calling out to Rick as she did. "What's going on?"

"Ran into some trouble." Shane slammed his door hard. "Stupid bastard nearly got us killed."

"What?"

"Ran into some walkers."

"And?"

"And the fuckin' kid came back with us." Shane spat out, face contorted with aggression. "Ya wanna talk about it, ya can talk with Rick. I'm gonna to lock the bastard back up." He threw open the hatch, grabbing Randall by the arm and heaving him out of the back of the car roughly, half dragging the boy as he stumbled to his feet. The kid grunted under his mouthful of fabric.

"Shane!" Grace found herself gasping. "Jesus Christ, have a heart."

Shane's face contorted into a twisted smile. "Ya say that now," he chuckled. "Bet ya sleep really well all safe and snug next to Dixon. Thinkin' 'ain't nobody gonna find this place. We're safe here.' Well we ain't. Buddy-boy here knows exactly where we are. Right down to the little painted sign out front and the flower patch next to the mailbox."

"Easy, Shane." Rick scolded darkly. "Let's not think more of this than it is. Randall is still right here. He hasn't told anyone anything yet."

"It's only a matter of time." Shane shook the prisoner by the arm. "Come on, fuck-up. Let's put you back on the chain gang." Yanking hard on the kid, Shane dragged and pulled Randall away from the car. The whole while Randall tripped and stumbled over the uneven farm ground. Shane hadn't even bothered to pull the earbuds they'd duct taped into his ears out or take the blindfold off.

Beside Grace, Carol brought a hand to her mouth, gasping quietly into it. Grace had to admit, it was a terrible sight, especially after tending to the rope burns on the sisters and their father. There was no need for Shane to be so rough with the man they were already holding prisoner.

Rick seemed to be thinking the same thing as he sighed and shook his head. "Show him a little mercy."

"Tha' what yer gonna say when his crew rolls up here, rapes your wife, and slits your kid's throat all because Randall went to school with Maggie and he knows exactly where this farm is?"

Carol's eyes went wide at that one and even Grace had to raise an eyebrow but Rick held his ground. "Not here, not now. What happened to our little talk?"

"That was before the kid starts shouting that he has class with Maggie. That he knows where the farm is. That not sound like a threat to ya? Bet his groups' the one that raped those girls. We were gonna leave him and suddenly he was shouting about how he knows where we are. Why'd he keep that quiet? Wouldn't put it past big mouth here to spill everything the moment he got back to his people."

"He knows Maggie?" Grace questioned. She'd been following the back and forth between Rick and Shane but she still didn't quite understand. "When did he say that?"

"As we were about to leave him." Rick raked a hand through his hair. "We brought him to this station, see; it had been a safe zone. Guess there was a hole in one of the fences though because pretty soon we got swarmed. Shane and I were running for the car, figured we'd just leave Randall and be done with him." Shane snorted and Rick gave him a cold look. "Next thing we know though, he's shouting about Maggie. How he went to school with her. How he's from town and knows exactly what farm we're on. Now, unlike what Shane would have you believe, he didn't say anything about coming back for revenge but…"

Shane gave the prisoner a shake for good measure, "Little bastard implied it loud and clear. Can't take the risk, Rick. Think about it." The bald man's voice hit an almost pleading note but then his mask fell back into place. "Gonna lock him up. Then we'll get some supper and get everyone in on a nice long talk about it."

"Shit," Grace shook her head. "Why now though? If he knew where this farm was, if he knew Maggie, why wouldn't he have said something? Hershel fixed up his leg. We gave him food and water and let him wash up. We were good to him."

"Maggie brought him his meals most days." Carol pointed out quietly. Her brow had wrinkled with confusion and concern. "If he knew her, why didn't he say anything? Why didn't she?"

Rick scratched his beard, his eyes were tired. "That's what we've gotta find out." He sighed again, long and low. "I don't like it though."

* * *

"I found him!" Beth held up the yearbook in triumph. Carol and Grace had gone up to the house and asked Maggie for them. The oldest Greene daughter had no recollection of Randall at all from her high school years. She'd racked her brain for boys who she'd seen on sports teams or at dances, even pulled out her old study notes to see if maybe he'd been in her chemistry or biology classes and had shared notes with her.

Beth passed the book over to her sister eagerly.

"This is my senior yearbook," Maggie looked down fondly at the hard cover book full of signatures and pressed momentos. "He was a sophomore."

"You're twenty-two?" Grace asked Maggie quietly and the woman confirmed with a nod. "So he'd be maybe nineteen? Did you know him Beth? He'd have been a senior in the past few years."

"Maybe," Beth squinted down at the photo. "I can go get my yearbooks. Maybe he's in them. He could've hung around with the stoner kids. We didn't exactly chum around. Mostly I just saw them when I was getting off the bus seeing as they spent more time in the parking lot than the classroom. Come on, Claire. They're in my room."

The two teenagers slipped up the stairs, leaving Grace, Carol, and Maggie alone in a pile of books and memories. Grace started to put together some of the photos into their little paper sleeves again until she noticed Maggie was still staring hard at the yearbook. Her face was twisted into an almost unreadable expression, somewhere between guilt and anger.

"What's the matter?"

"How could I forget him?" Maggie hissed, her eyes welling with tears. "He's been here a whole week. My high school was 400 people. I must have seen Randall Culver at some point. And if he's local how come I don't remember seeing him around town. Even the name Culver doesn't ring any bells. Did he not have parents? Siblings? I must have known him so how come I can't remember?"

Carol leaned over and patted Maggie's arm, slowly slipping the book from her hands. "It was years ago. You ran with different circles. Beth doesn't remember him either. No one is blaming you."

"I am." The oldest Greene sister let out a startled laugh. "We'd have never gotten here if I just recognized him. It's a small town. How could someone be so forgettable?"

"Maybe he wanted to be. It's pretty easy to miss a person if they want to be missed." Grace shrugged. It was true. She'd nearly missed becoming well acquainted with Daryl. The younger Dixon was almost invisible in Merle's shadow when he wanted to be and he did a fair job of hiding even when his brother wasn't there. She wasn't even sure how long he'd been ordering breakfast at William's before she recognized him. If Daryl didn't want someone to see him, they could usually look right through him.

"What'd you mean?"

"It's a lot easier than you think to make yourself unnoticeable. I bet he had a rough time in high school. Just look at that haircut. He wasn't popular, he probably didn't do sports and if he was in activities, he was a minor part. Teenagers are self-centred. It's pretty easy to just miss someone when you're wrapped up in your own friends, and homework and activities and life."

"She's right," Carol voice was quiet but strong. "Before all of this you probably missed seeing dozens of people every day, even ones you knew."

"He's one guy," Grace agreed, "and he was younger than you. It's no wonder you don't recognize him. He probably didn't give you a reason too."

"It just creepy. Him knowing me. Why would he keep that a secret?" Maggie wrung her hands together, fingers cracking with worry and tension. She sighed, reaching to pick her cup of tea off the table. Holding it with both hands, she used the mug to steady herself. "That's weird right?"

"Very. I think we need to find out why he didn't try to use that as leverage right away."

* * *

Randall Culver must have graduated on time because he made no more appearances in Beth's yearbook. There was so little to go on, just a name on the slippery paper and a black and white photograph as the only proof that he hadn't been lying.

It was just like Maggie had said though, why now? Why wait until they were leaving him behind to own up to knowing them. If Grace had been in his shoes and found herself injured, kidnapped, and tied up in a shed but recognized a familiar face, she would have tried to make contact. Anything to gain some sympathy from her captors.

They hadn't been mean to him, he got food and water regularly, was guarded twenty-four hours a day so there was always someone there when he needed to pee, he even got a bucket of hot water and a hard bar of soap so he could sort of sponge bathe. That was after Rick, Hershel, and Glenn had pulled him off the fence and then Hershel had led the operation on the boy's leg. He had been treated well. Very well for someone whose friends had tried to kill members of their group twice and threatened to come back to the farm.

They didn't have to give this boy the benefit of the doubt.

"Come on, Rick." Shane leaned against the door frame of the farmhouse. He was ready to do something. They needed to find out just what was going on after all. "You know what we gotta do, man. We'll just sit down, talk with the kid, find out what's up."

Rick shook his head, the long shaggy ends of his bang falling into his eyes. He needed a haircut but there hadn't been time. His hair was starting to look like Carl's. They could start a post-apocalyptic boyband. The Grimes Boys. "No. We don't need to act quickly."

"We need to do something." Shane's voice came out a rough bark. Then he sighed, realizing just how forceful he sounded.

Scowling, Rick shook his head again and looked around the room. "What if he doesn't talk? Then what?"

"We think of something then."

Everyone's eyes were on Rick now. Shane poised in the doorway ready to leave the second he got the go ahead, Andrea perched on the arm of the couch, Glenn and Maggie in the doorway of the kitchen, Dale and his worry lines next to the fireplace, Daryl chewing his thumb against the dining room table, and Merle reclining at the head of the table.

"Should send one uh the girls in. Send Gracie," the sound of her own name made Grace turn away from Rick's pained expression and stare at the older Dixon.

"What?" Several of them gasped out the word at once but Merle didn't seem fazed.

Merle scraped his tongue with his teeth and shrugged. "She don't look like she could cause no harm. Kid might talk ta her. Send her in ta check up on his leg. Anything goes squirrelly an' Daryl an' me'll be right outside." He pushed his right fist into the palm of his other hand. "Take care uh him if he gets outta line." His lips creased upward as Grace caught her jaw dropping.

"That's insane."

"Nah, ya don't look like ya'd hurt a fly an' if yer lookin' af'er him tha's reason ta be there."

Shane snorted, "The hell'd ya get a plan like that from."

Merle shrugged, stiffed in his chair a bit, crossing his arms in defence. Beside her Daryl shifted, stifling a laugh. "They tried it on him once," Daryl mumbled past the hand he'd brought up to cover his chuckle, a memory seeming to come back to him. "Wanted to see who started a fight in the prison yard. Had both of the guys in private rooms to keep 'em from causin' trouble while they healed up. Sent this nurse in to check his blood pressure an' Merle couldn't keep himself from braggin'. Could ya?" Daryl grinned mockingly at his brother. "You got one weak spot an' it's a blonde with a nice rack so they got one ta get ya ta confess."

"Shut it."

"Naw, i's a good plan," Daryl reassured his brother, glancing over at Grace to make it clear that he was on her side on this, "if it weren't so stupid. We ain't sending Grace in there with'im."

"Fuck ya," Merle sunk into his chair further. "Don't see ya comin' up wit' a better plan."

"Don't need one. Kid like tha' ain't gonna talk. He don' trust us none. No reason too. So he'll keep his trap shut 'less he thinks it's gonna help him. Same way he kept his trap shut 'bout knowin' the farmer's daughter 'til he needed savin'. Fuckin' aces up 'is sleeve."

Rick sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "That's all well and good but what do we do with him then."

Daryl shrugged, leaning back against the wall. He'd spoken up enough for now. It was one thing to shut down Merle's plan when it threatened Grace but to step-up and actually give his opinion? That was another story all together.

"Can't send him back out," Shane growled, rolling his eyes and throwing a challenging glare around the room. "Can't keep him here. Seems we only got one option, man."

"And what's that?" Rick barked back, dragging himself to stand straighter and stare right back at Shane. Whatever had gone on between the two of them while trying to flee from the walkers that afternoon had brought them a whole lot closer to the breaking point. There'd always been a moment before when one would back down and simply let the other have their way, a sort of compromise of this one's yours but I've got the next one. Now there was no stepping back, no give in their argument.

Shane shrugged, his shoulders rising just briefly enough to prove he'd done it. "Kill 'im."

"That's it?" Rick scoffed. "It's not that simple, Shane."

"Should be."

"Don't see why it ain't," Merle flicked his nose with his thumb, giving a small snort of disbelief that he was actually agreeing with Shane. "String him up in tha mornin' 'fore anyone else gets up. Don't gotta worry none uh the more delicate folk 'round camp."

"No!" Dale's startled exclamation broke through the quiet room. "This is a man's life we're talking about. We can't just, just string him up like a criminal. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"Okay, Professor," Merle tossed his head, "What'd ya suppose we do wit'im then? Load him up with sweets an' make him our god? Maybe we can elect him Miss Universe. I'll make a sash."

"We give him a chance." Dale clenched his fists, eyes flashing. "What happened to civilization? Morals? Innocent until proven guilty?"

"Dead things ate it." The blank look in Merle's eyes was enough to send the old man spluttering. "I's dog eat dog, or a'least walker eat the dumb guy who ain't defendin' his own. Can't afford to make exceptions just 'cause he makes ya weak in the knees."

"Stop it, Merle." Grace found herself saying, stepping away from Daryl who reached out and grabbed one of her belt loops. "I'm fine." She assured him with a whisper, turning back to his brother. "I think we all need to back away from the situation for a while. Nothing needs to be decided tonight."

"I'd say so." Dale harrumphed, folding his arms in displeasure.

"There's food in the kitchen, a nice meal for everyone to enjoy. And we should enjoy it. We deserve that. In the morning we can revisit this."

"There's an idea." The tendons stood out on Rick's neck as he looked toward the dining room. "We forget about this for right now and go have supper."

Shane gave a snort of disgust and slammed his hand into the screen door. "Guess that leaves me to take first watch." He stomped out onto the front porch, door slamming shut behind him. Andrea had jumped at the door slamming, She looked torn, or at least ready to follow Shane if he'd asked her to. But he hadn't and instead when everyone else chose to ignore the outburst, she slunk behind them into the dining room where everything was neatly set out on two long tables.

* * *

Andrea was still moping as everyone else finished dinner. While the dishes were cleaned off the table and being washed and put away using the assembly line method, she scooped up the extra place setting off the table, neatly wrapped the cutlery in one of the cloth napkins, and began to put together a plate. Grace had offered to fold up the table cloth, wipe down the table, and sweep the dining room and she was almost finished as Andrea started heading for the back door. Alone.

"Wait, Andrea." Grace found herself saying before she was even sure of her plan. Andrea couldn't walk through the yard alone at night. She still hadn't earned back the privilege of carrying a firearm since she shot Daryl in the head and if she were to come across something in the dark it would better for her to not be alone. "I'll come with you."

"Really?" The blonde seemed confused as to why Grace would be offering to go with her. Grace wasn't sure herself. She wasn't close with Andrea. Still the fight about Randall and finding out he knew where the farm was had her on edge. She was already worrying about Mandy and Ash back with the Halversons. The sooner they were all safely behind the walls of the housing development the better.

"Buddy system," Grace shrugged. "You don't have a gun anyway. The swamp isn't going to hold walkers off forever. Better safe than sorry, right?"

"For sure!" Andrea smiled genuinely. "Thanks. I didn't want to ask anyone to come with me. No one really seems to like Shane too much right now."

"He's… rough. Bit like Merle really. He deserves supper as much as anyone else though. We should have brought him a plate before we all sat down and started eating. Sort of mean to leave him out there without food. We can bring something for Randall as well."

There was a package of plastic cutlery and plates in one of the hutches that lines the walls of the dining room. It might have been paranoid but Grace felt a lot safer giving that to Randall than something he could use as a weapon. She even cut the turkey into bite sized pieces the same way you would with a child. For a moment she had considered offering a plastic fork and knife but he could do less damage with a spoon and so that was what he got along with room temperature water in a red solo cup. Andrea carried Shane's meal wrapped in foil and Grace took Randall's the same way. They told Carol where they were going and slipped out the back door, cutting across the yard to get to the shed.

Shane was sitting on a white plastic lawn chair, shotgun against his knees, and one foot jiggling with anticipation when they got there. To make sure he knew it was them and not something more sinister, the two women called out to him quietly in greeting and Shane stood to welcome them.

"How's he been? We brought food." Andrea offered out the plate she was holding. "That's Randall's. His is on Styrofoam, just in case." She added and Grace hung onto to the dish as Shane casually reached out with one hand to take the plate from Andrea, the other catching the back of her head so he could pull her in for a quick press of his lips to her forehead.

"Thanks, damn quiet out here." The tops of Andrea's cheekbones had gone pink but Shane didn't seem to think he'd done anything out of sorts. He lifted up the foil and gave an appreciative sniff at the food. "That smells good." He shifted, sighing. "Hate to ask after you ladies came all the way out here with food but do ya mind keepin' watch for a few. I gotta piss somethin' awful an' it ain't like somebody's gonna be here to switch shifts for a while."

"Sure thing," Andrea was already setting down his plate, arranging the napkin and cup neatly.

Grace didn't have a problem with it. She had her gun and Shane was offering his rifle to Andrea. It would only be a couple of minutes and she could see poor Shane shifting uncomfortably like he'd been holding it for a while. "Yeah, go ahead."

"Thanks," he sighed in relief, "back in a few." Quickly he hurried off to the tree line, disappearing into the shadows at the edge of the property.

Andrea slumped down in Shane's chair, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "He's calmer now."

"Yeah, extreme bladder control does tend to make one reassess their priorities." Grace shifted the plate she was holding for Randall. It was hot, the gravy and potatoes making little spots of lava on her fingertips. If the plate had been paper it would have folded in on itself already. She might as well take it into the kid now. Andrea was alright to keep watch and if it meant she didn't have to hold the hot plate any more then Grace was all for it. "Lock the door after me."

"What?" Andrea started shaking her head as Grace was undoing the combination lock on the door. She knew the four digit code because Hershel had given it to her after the surgery so he could have another person to go in and check on Randall's leg. Of course she had never gotten a chance to go in and see him on her own before because so much had happened so quickly. "Where are you going?"

"Just to feed him. I'll leave him tied up."

"How's he going to eat then?"

"I'll spoon feed him, I guess." Grace lifted the plastic utensil casually. It wouldn't be difficult if the kid co-operated but she didn't see any reason why he shouldn't. He wasn't at full strength, still healing from his injuries and the day had been a busy one from what Rick and Shane described. He'd be tired, hungry, and thirsty.

Andrea seemed ready to protest further, but Grace was already letting herself into the shed and closing the door behind her.

"Heh-hello?" Randall was sitting, slumped up against one of the shed walls in a way that reminded Grace of a passive walker. Just like one of those creatures he'd turned toward the sound as she came in. "Who's there? Let me go please, man. I won't do no harm, I promise. Just let me loose. I'll tell you everything." His voice was high and frightened. Grace was shocked into standing perfectly still. She hadn't expected him to sound so vulnerable. So young. So much like the girls did when they cried out in their sleep. Randall wasn't that much older than Ash or Beth after all.

Grace cleared her throat, fighting back the lump that was forming. "I've brought food." Her voice seemed too loud; it bounced off the walls causing the prisoner to jump.

Randall shook his bound arms as if to make a point. "Mind letting me out? I can't see nothin'." He tossed his head, the light from the small boarded up window near the ceiling barely enough to see by but Grace could see that even though Shane removed the headphones and the gag from the kid's mouth, his eyes were still covered by a ratty black hat, which they'd pulled far down over his eyes as a form of blindfold. He seemed to have managed to push it up to his nose, or maybe it had just ridden up but he still couldn't see anything.

"Here," Grace sat the plate down on the small work bench next to the door and stepped cautiously over to Randall. She gave an experimental tug on the chain that held him to the wall and even checked the bindings on his hands before returning his vision. Better to be safe than sorry but he was securely held in place - able to stand and sit but not much more than that. "Better?" she questioned.

"Ya thanks" Randall sniffed, breathing in the fresh air unrestricted by the hat. His hair was matted down with sweat in the most serious case of hat hair Grace had ever seen and he was even dirtier than Shane and Rick had been when they first stepped out of the car. He probably hadn't had a chance to wash up at all since he'd come back, not with all the arguing to they did about him and him still be blindfolded. He huffed again almost seeming out of breath somehow. "Got something to drink?"

Grace shook her head in affirmation, walking back to the workbench and grabbing the plastic cup. "Head up."

"Huh?" he stared at her blankly.

"Your hands are bound. I'm not undoing them so your options are let me help you or wait for Shane to get back." She shrugged and shook the cup at him. "And I think he'd be less willing to undo those than I am."

Randall seemed to consider the situation for a moment. That worried Grace. The boy was clever. He thought about each move he made. The initial desperation that had made her pity him was gone, replaced by a calculating that she wasn't used to seeing. He was sneaky. Sly. Manipulative. She couldn't help but wonder if the whining had just been an act to get sympathy. Randall was just finishing his second swallow of water when Shane's voice came from outside. His words were brisk and raised, followed soon after by the shed door being thrown open.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" He wasn't shouting, not quite yet at least, but Shane's voice had a dangerous edge to it.

"Feeding him. Why did you want to do it?"

"Feeding him?" Shane scoffed.

"Yes," Grace rolled her eyes. "Just because he's a prisoner here doesn't mean that he can't be taken care of. Your food's outside. don't worry, Andrea fixed one for you as well."

The former sheriff's deputy clenched his jaw. "And I'm just supposed to leave you two alone?"

"Stay here, go back out there, whatever. I'm going to spoon feed him and then I'm going back into the house, hang out with the kids a bit, and go to bed. This isn't a social call."

"I wouldn't mind it being." Behind them Randall was grinning. "She's nicer than you are, man. Prettier too."

"Shut-up," Shane snarled. "Yer lucky she came around. I'd made ya wait until breakfast. Instead you're getting chicken and potatoes. Better watch it or tomorrow when I do feed ya, yer gonna accidentally choke on a dinner roll."

The boy squeaked and slunk back against the wall, deflated. Grace couldn't help but feel a little relieved by Shane's outburst. Randall moved so quickly between scared little boy and overconfident man that it made her head spin. Just who was this lying boy? Maybe Merle was right. They wouldn't get anything out of him without brutal force. Just maybe though she could get him to slip up.

"Play nice, Shane. No need to be rude to him. Poor kid's probably just lonely." She dragged over a wooden chair that had been sitting in the corner too far away for Randall to even use it. "Locked up in here all alone with a beanie pulled over his eyes." She gave the boy the most pitying look she could muster and reached out to grip Randall's elbow. Carefully she helped him into the chair. "That's better."

"Yer all fuckin' nuts. Last thing this guy needs is a comfy chair." Shane spat out, throwing his hands up and storming out of the shed. He left the door open, enough so that Grace could see him slam his butt into the plastic chair outside the door and yank his own plate off the table.

While Shane was outside wolfing down his food, Grace settled on a wooden crate next to Randall and chatted, light small talk that wouldn't make the boy nervous, after all, she wanted him to share just where he had been since the world went to hell. In between bites he talked about his mom and the friends he had in high school. They were right, he hadn't been one of the popular kids or even really big in the geek crowd. The boys he described seemed to be the sorts of people that didn't make it far in life. They were the sorts that Merle had been friends with, the losers that Grace tried her best to stay away from but always found herself running into as they came hunting down Merle because he owed them money for one thing or another.

She found herself pitying the boy more than anything. Maybe Dale was right and he just needed a chance. He was sneaky, yes, but that maybe had something to do with being wary of the strangers who had picked him up off a fence, operated on his leg, locked him up in a shed, and then nearly abandoned him with walkers. He was sort of justified in that. It was halfway through him chewing a bite of chicken that Grace made a joke about having cut it into bite sized pieces.

"Couldn't exactly bring a knife in here."

Randall swallowed and winced, "Nah, I guess not. Don't like 'em much myself so I can see how you'd see giving me one would be a bad call." He flicked his head at the door. "Guess he wouldn't want me to get one. I can see that. People do weird things, right? It's a fucked up world now."

"There are dead things walking around. We've gotta protect our own. We're family here." Outside Shane shifter his chair, turning it away from the door. Grace ignored him but spoke a little louder. He needed to hear it too. "Some of us knew each other before this but some of us were strangers a few months ago. I just don't want anything ruining that." It was almost more threatening than she wanted it to sound. She'd meant for it to come off as them being a strong united group but instead came off as Randall being a threat to that.

"You're lucky." Randall whispered quietly, hanging his head. "People change. This world changes people." His voice wasn't embarrassed or worried, he just seemed honest.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You tied me up. That's old world illegal." He grinned. "You've got a cop with you right?"

"Two of them." Grace corrected. "Sheriff's Deputies."

"Whatever. You're keeping me against my will, bound in a shed. Threatening my life. You ain't so innocent as you think you are. We all got our way to survive out there."

She set the plate back down on her legs, the spoon dropping out of her hand, holding the last bit of mashed potatoes. "So you survived out there? That's all?"

"What are you getting at?"

"You worry people here. Those men you were with, they talked about some things that got people here thinking that you might be dangerous. We don't need dangerous. We're trying to survive just like you say you are."

Randall looked up at her, eyes calculating. He seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. "I wasn't with those men."

"Didn't seem like it. You begged them for help before they left you behind to die."

"Yeah, I was just running with them 'cause they found me and said they'd take me in. Told ya I don't like knives. See there was this one guy, he really liked them."

"He liked knives?" Grace's stomach began to churn.

The boy shrugged, unaware that the woman sitting across from him knew a whole lot more about people who liked knives than he thought she did. "He had all kinds. Think he was some sort of collector before it all but he picked up some along the way."

"So he killed walkers with knives?"

"Walkers," Randall rolled the word around in his mouth and shrugged again. "Sure. We all killed a bunch. They were everywhere. People've got all sorts of demons. They're closer to the surface now."

Grace knew. Her heart was racing, palms slick against the Styrofoam she was clutching like a lifeline. She kept waiting for Shane to come racing in the door to stop this but she knew he didn't know. He couldn't have known. When they first found out about the girls getting cut up, it was decided that the girls, especially Ashley, deserved the privacy of keeping the details secret. The women at the Halverson house knew and Merle knew because Grace had told Daryl and he didn't keep anything from his brother, but no one at this farm knew about the girls getting cut. Still, she could see how Shane had twisted toward them, staring through the door. Grace caught his eyes, he was looking at her with a mix of concern and revulsion.

The bound boy didn't notice the other man was paying much closer attention now. He looked up at Grace, almost smirking at her through the hair matted down on his forehead. "He woulda liked you. See you're really pretty. He liked 'em like that."

"Enough!"

Grace jump as Shane threw himself into the shed and launched himself at Randall. She'd dropped the plate on the floor. Even without knowing about the girls, there was no hiding the threat in Randall's voice. She hadn't meant to set him off but clearly now he was sending a message.

_That group I was with, they could fuck you up._


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:**Hello everyone! I'm sorry this took so long to post but my life has been a bit mixed up and I've been very busy. I wanted this chapter to be the best it could be because I'm really feeling the pressure of wanting this to be the best possible version of this story. I'm about half way through writing the first chapter of part three but it seems to be slow going. I'm having a lot of difficulty with motivating myself and getting back into the swing of things again. Here's to hoping that this chapter lives up to your expectations (without being predictable) and that I can get back to writing the way I did when this story first started.

Thank you all for reading, reviewing, liking, favouriting, following, PMing, and just generally making me feel awesome! I would have given up long ago without your love and support.

**Chapter Seventeen**

The discussion had been short. Rick, Shane, Daryl, and Merle seemed to ignore Grace after she'd recounted to them what Randall had said. She sat in the driver's seat of the RV as the men discussed in hushed tones what they would do with the prisoner now. He was more than just a threatening presence, if his group found them it was for sure that they could do harm.

And all Grace could think was that she hadn't meant it. She'd just been talking to Randall and said the wrong thing. That had been all it took to make him snap. The boy was unhinged. Shane had punched him a few times but he hadn't stopped shouting, spouting off bullshit and lies to cover up the truth he'd let slip out. "I wasn't with them. I barely knew them. They just took me in."

Shane had left him crying before locking the shed and dragging Andrea and Grace away from it. He'd sent T-Dog back to keep watch, pushed Andrea into the house, and gathered this small group together to figure out what happened. The former sheriff's deputy didn't understand what exactly had been said but he did know that it was more than just a threat from how Grace had reacted. This was exactly what he had warned Rick about and he was making it abundantly clear that he was damn proud that he knew to be wary of this guy.

"Told ya something like this was gonna happen." Shane leaned against the useless sink and raised an eyebrow at his best friend. His arms were folded, the damn muscles in his arm twitching with tension.

"Nothing happened, Shane." Rick repeated, rubbing the stubble on his chin.

Daryl snored, sneering. "Yer fuckin' lucky that kid didn't do more." Pointing at Grace in the driver's seat he snarled, "Jus' fuckin' look at her!"

Grace didn't like having her shitty mood pointed out to everyone in the damn room. She was shaken enough as it was and hearing Daryl scream about it for the past forty minutes hadn't helped. He was furious. Hadn't touched her since grabbing her wrists hard enough to bruise and making sure that Randall hadn't so much as breathed on her.

For once, Merle was the calmest one in the room. While his brother screamed at Rick and Shane, Merle simply watched quietly, calculating his next move. He'd barely said anything other than to settle his brother and keep him from walking in there right away and snapping Randall's neck.

"Easy brother." The older Dixon stepped firmly in-between Rick and Daryl. "Ya ain't exactly givin' Gracie a good time 'bout this either. She's been sittin' there listenin' ta ya ramblin'. That ain't gonna make her feel better."

"Tha hell would ya know 'bout her?" Daryl shoved his brother away.

Standing his ground, Merle pushed back at Daryl. "More 'en ya'll do. Ya ain't never been good wit' women."

"Stop it." Shane laughed. "Are ya two really fighting over Grace?"

"Ain't fightin' over her," Merle mumbled. "Fight 'bout her."

"Same difference. She ain't our biggest problem right now." Shane turned back to Rick who was still holding his face in his hands. "What're we doin' with the kid now. Can't exactly let him go like ya wanted to now can we. He hooks back up with his boys and leads 'em straight back here. We don't know how many men he's gonna bring back. We'd be over run."

"So what we kill him and abandon the farm?" Rick protested. "We need this farm until we get something more permanent set-up. I'm not taking Lor- I'm not taking _my wife_ and _my son_ out on the road."

"Between walkers and this other group, someone's gonna get killed."

Grace had had enough. Merle and Daryl were still glaring daggers at each other, Shane was trying to force Rick's hand, and nothing was getting solved. "I want to talk to him again," she whispered, clearing her throat to make her voice a little louder. "Merle was right when he said he'd admit things to someone he didn't think was a threat. I want to try talking to him, find out just what we're up against."

"No!" Daryl stopped her dead in her tracks with the holler. "I ain't lettin' ya near him. Anyone talks to him it's gonna be one uh us."

That was how she knew exactly where Daryl was when she woke-up alone on their bedrolls. The den wasn't exactly the most private place to sleep but Hershel's house hadn't been set-up to hold so many guests and the large majority of people had been crammed in wherever possible. No one had spent the night away from the house last night except the people keeping guard. Every last bed was full, every nook and cranny someone's personal space.

The sheets were cold next to her and most of the other bed rolls had been tucked away for the day. She'd been left sleeping, probably on express orders for someone. When Grace pulled a sweatshirt over her tank top and went to find Carol in the kitchen, it wasn't really to find out where the Dixon's had gone. She already knew they were having their talk with Randall.

"Where's Daryl?" she questioned, watching Carol dodge her eye contact.

Carol was rolling out dough on the counter. They were using up all of Hershel's baking things. It wouldn't be long before there were no rolls with dinner or bread for lunch. "I uh, I uh, I guess he went out."

"With Merle?"

"No, I uh, I don't know. I-I mean he could be."

Grace frowned and sighed. She already knew and the other woman avoiding and lying to her was just making things worse. "They're out _talking_ with Randall, aren't they?"

Her hands stilled on the rolling pin but Carol gave a little sniff and nodded. "Yeah."

"Which one put you up to lying to me?"

"No one, I just figured, I just figured it would be better if we could all pretend it wasn't happening." Her voice dropped to a nervous whisper. "Do you know what they're out there doing?"

"I have a good idea from how pissed off Daryl was last night. Thanks for letting me know where he is." Grace moved toward the back door.

"Where are you going?"

She licked her lips as she turned back to Carol. "To wait for the boys to be done with him."

"Just like that? You'd forgive them for this?"

Grace found herself shrugging. Did she forgive Daryl and Merle? No. They weren't guilty of anything to be forgiven. If anything she wished she was in there with them. The memories of caring for the girls were burned into her head. Counting the tally marks on their legs, the carvings on Ashley's skin, the fingerprints and bruises, rope burns, and black eyes and split lips. If they had one of the bastards responsible for even one of those marks, she wanted a swing at him. "Do you know if they've eaten yet?" She asked, changing the subject. "They'll probably be hungry by the time they're done."

* * *

Grace could hear them inside the shed. The Dixons weren't exactly being subtle about what they were doing. Rick and Shane had seemed well aware, both had tried to dissuade her from going anywhere near the shed but Grace had insisted. Eventually, they gave up, probably because she hadn't even bothered to respond to their arguments.

There was no guard posted outside. The lock on the door was hanging ominously and inside the sounds of heated conversation were quite clear. She wasn't sure how long they had been in there, not long enough to get the information they had wanted from Randall apparently. She wasn't going inside. She was content to wait against the outside of the shed for them to be done. Maybe content was the wrong word. She wasn't happy to be there but unlike everyone else she wasn't content to not know. Ignorance would get you nowhere fast.

If they were going to let Merle and Daryl lower themselves to torturing a kid, then she owed it to the brothers to stand by and acknowledge what they were willing to give up for the group. By torturing this kid, no matter what he had done, they were losing a piece of civilization. They were no longer just civilians trying to survive. This was a calculated act of violence against another human being and that made them into soldiers. That made this a war.

It wasn't fair to ignore that sacrifice, not matter how willingly they gave it. She knew this group too well. It was all smoke and mirrors and lies. No matter what happened in that shed, Daryl and Merle would be treated exactly the same when they got back. They would be just as ignored and belittled as before. It was okay to have them get their hands dirty but it wasn't alright to openly admit what was happening. The group would just sweep this under the rug like a dirty secret.

What happened with Randall?

We don't talk about it.

Carol had even said they were pretending it wasn't happening. Shane and Rick had made it abundantly clear that this was a necessary evil, something that needed to happen but they would never hint at happening. Everyone knew- hell even Carl was clever enough to figure it out- they were just all ignoring it.

The same way no one brought up leaving Merle on the roof.

The same way no one questioned what happened to Otis.

The same way no one wanted to admit that Rick had shot two men in cold blood in a bar.

They were all things that would never have happened in the old world and so they ignored them. It was as bad as Hershel keeping the walkers that had been his family and friends. Pretending that they were still living in a world where everything was normal and safe, where it wasn't okay to kill people, even if they were threatening to kill you. But that wasn't being honest to themselves. If they kept pretending that everything was going to be okay, then someone they loved was going to get killed. That had been how she and Sophia had gotten separated. They'd gotten too comfortable at the pileup and instead of staying close together they separated and found themselves unprepared.

Why was it so much easier to deem the walkers a threat than it was to admit that people were just as likely to kill them? They could keep guard and practice shooting to kill walkers but people were still innocent until proven guilty.

Randall was part of a group that would probably kill them and if not beat and rape them within an inch of their lives, take the farm and their supplies, and leave them as walker food. He wasn't someone they could safely keep alive, no matter how baby-faced and coerced he seemed. He might be just one more victim in all of this but so were they and they had every right to defend themselves.

Inside the shed one of the brothers was shouting obscenities at the boy. Demanding to know information about the group. Grace dropped to the ground, leaning her back up against the shed and waited, gun pulled out of her waistband and sitting on her knees. Just in case.

Behind her the sounds of work boots pacing the floor stopped suddenly.

"Ya ready to tell us 'bout yer group?" It was Merle sounding as confident as ever.

Randall whimpered in response, "Tol' ya," his voice was slurred, maybe he'd been crying or maybe one of the boys had hit him directly in the jaw, "I don' know nothin'."

"Ya ain't tol' us shit." Daryl growled and the sounds of skin colliding with skin filled the air. Randall groaned again and Grace fought to cover her ears. She owed it to him though to listen. He was doing this for her after all; to help protect her, to keep her safe. Her and the rest of the group.

"I barely knew those guys. I met 'em on the road."

"See," Merle cackled, "ya do know somethin'. Got a road in particular or were ya lost?"

Randall coughed, let out a wet gasp and sobbed. "I dunno man, jus' outside uh town I guess."

"How many of 'em?"

"I dunno, man, I dunno."

Someone hit Randall again. The boy cried out gasping against the pain. Something shook the shed and Grace braced herself.

Merle's voice came low and dangerous, sending a chill up her back. Goosebumps broke out even in the heat. "See, I think ya got a pretty good guess. Ya spend time around people, ya get ta know 'em. Even if ya ain't talk ta 'em, ya know who ya've seen 'round before. Might not get on wit' all the folk here but I know 'em. We got more 'en jus' what ya've seen here. See this here's jus' one bit uh our group. This ain't our only camp. This here's our town an' yer group is impedin' on our territory. And ya know what the penalty is for tresspassin'?"

There wasn't any sound to let Grace know what they had done or which brother did it but a high pitched cry pierced the air.

Sobbing hard, Randall struggled to speak through the pain of whatever had been done to him. "We didn't know man. It's jus' a town. Lived here before all this. I worked at the gas station. I was leavin' town an' they found me."

"So they needed some place ta stay fer a couple a days? Longer?"

"I dunno. Jus' wanted a place ta rest I guess."

"How," Daryl grunted, seeming to smash something into Randall. "Many." Another wet compacting sound. "Are there?"

Someone spat, maybe one of the Dixons or maybe Randall clearing blood out of his mouth. "Th-thirty. Maybe."

"See, that weren't so hard, now was it?" Merle laughed again.

Daryl sounded much less comforted. "Where were ya stayin'?"

"I dunno, man. Outside uh town. Never stayed anywhere more than a night or two."

"Ya bes' gimme more 'en tha'! Where's tha last place ya stayed?"

"I dunno!"

There was a moment of Merle and Daryl's boots shuffling as they moved around the shed. Grace clutched the gun in her hand. It didn't do anything to help what was going on in the shed behind her but it was a comforting weight. If somehow that other group did find them, she knew how to help protect herself and others. She wasn't weak. She wasn't defenseless.

"D'ya know who was in here las' night feedin' ya? That woman who was in here tryin' ta make nice 'fore ya threatened her." Daryl was quiet but Merle was talking loudly. Grace turned then, sucking up the courage to peer through the gaps between the boards. Merle had knelt down beside Randall, close enough to breathe right in his face. Daryl hung further back, playing with his pant leg on the opposite side of the shed from her. Grace couldn't see his face as he faced Randall and his brother.

"I weren't threatenin' no one."

"Heard all 'bout it. That there was my brother's woman. Ain't blood but that makes her muh family. She was pretty shaken up. Mentioned knives. See we heard some stories from some folk we met along the way. Stories 'bout a group uh men run by a guy who likes to cut up little girls. Ya wouldn't know nothin' 'bout that would ya?"

Grace watched as Daryl slid a knife from the sheath on his leg. So that was what he had been fiddling with. He held the blade up so Randall could see it clearly. The boy skittered backwards like a crab, crashing into the shed wall.

"I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry 'bout yer girlfriend. I didn't, didn't mean nothin' by what I said."

"See muh brother's kinda sensitive when it comes ta his girl." Merle stood, making room for Daryl to crouch next to the boy. He patted the younger man's shoulder as Daryl poised the knife above the bandages on Randall's leg. Realizing what was about to happen, Randall began to chatter nervously.

"I didn't mean nothin', I swear! Was jus' talk! I didn't mean it."

"Best start tellin' us 'bout yer group then." Merle pointed out.

Slowly Daryl slid a finger under the wrappings on the boy's leg, tugging to pull the ratty fabric free. "Ever pick a scab off?"

"Oh shit! Oh shit, man!" Randall squealed even though Daryl wasn't yet doing something that would hurt him. "I'm trying to cooperate!"

Daryl pressed the knife to the wound, ignoring the boy's pleas. This time Grace had to turn away, pressing her back to the shed once again and holding the gun tighter. "Start real slow at first," Grace clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut as Daryl continued to taunt the boy into confessing. "Sooner or later ya gotta just rip it off."

Randall howled and Grace felt her breath catch in her throat. "OKAY! OKAY!" The boy wailed. "They got guns. Heavy stuff. Automatics. Bu-bu-but I wasn't with them long. I don't know."

"YER LYING!" Merle hollered and Grace could feel the blow as it connected with Randall, the sound was eerily loud. "Ya know more 'en jus' tha!"

"Yer boys shot my boys." Daryl hissed. "They tried to take this farm."

"See these here are our people." Merle's voice was sing-songy, brutally mocking. "We don't take lightly to people threatening our own."

"Ya really think we're gonna believe ya jus' went along for the ride? Tha' yer innocent in all this?"

"Yes!" Randall shouted back. "Those – those people took me in. Not jus' guys. A whole group of 'em. Men and women, kids too. Jus' like you people. They were jus' like you!" His voice was frantic now, begging to be listened to. "Thought I'd have a better chance with them, ya know? Safety in numbers."

It was quiet inside. Grace slowly opened her eyes and turned back, her cheek pressing against the wood grain. Daryl and Merle had backed up now, eyeing their prisoner warily. Randall seemed to understand that he'd said the right thing to get their attention. He couldn't have said anything that would have stopped them more in their tracks. If there was one thing the Dixons wouldn't do, it was go after women and children. There was a fine line to their moral grey areas and that was where it crossed over into downright wrong.

"But – we go out, scavenge," Randall was continuing, spurred on by the pause in threatening behaviour from the brothers. "Just the men. One night we found this little campsite. A man an' his two daughters-teenagers, you know. Real young, real cute."

Daryl growled, low in his throat and glared at Randall, his brother seemed more reserved. Daryl had always been the quicker tempered. When he was sober, Merle was more content to taunt from a distance and wait for the other person to strike. Even Merle was twitching now though, reaching for the sheath on his own belt, finger drumming on leather.

"Their daddy had to watch while these guys – they… And they didn't even kill him after," Randall looked up, his eyes focusing on the two men in front of him. He wasn't making any attempts to hide himself. "They jus' – they jus' made him watch as his daughters – they jus' left him there."

"Bet ya didn't think he would live," Merle slowly released his knife, opting to clench his hands into fist instead. "Bet ya thought walkers'd come along. Eat up all the pieces. Clean up yer mess."

"I – I didn't touch those girls!"

"Ever wake-up ta someone havin' a nightmare. Screamin' out about somethin' ya can't even help them wit' jus' 'cause they remember it so clearly they think they're livin' it over an' over every time they close their eyes?" Merle reached forward and grabbed the collar of Randall's shirt, making sure the kid couldn't turn away from him, couldn't hide from the ugly truth.

"Please, ya gotta believe me, man. I'm not like that."

"They didn't die. Ya left 'em out there but they didn't die. People we know, they found 'em and those girls cry e'ery fuckin' night an' there's nothin' I can do ta make 'em feel better. Next time I see 'em though, ya know what I'm gonna tell 'em?"

Randall shook his head trembling and Grace turned away again. Merle's response was quiet but she heard him clearly enough,

"I get ta tell 'em we caught one uh those bastards and he's gonna pay e'ery day fer tha res' uh his life."

* * *

It was Merle who stepped out of the shed first, rubbing the sweat off his forehead and blinking into the bright morning light. It was through the second or third round of blinking that he noticed Grace, still sitting against the shed on the hard ground, knees pulled up to her chest, and the shiny silver handgun perched on top of them. He raised an arm and caught Daryl in the chest, stopping his brother from walking out any further.

"Shit, Gracie."

"Carter?" Daryl choked back the name, "Grace?"

"How long ya been out here?" Merle grunted, face pulling into a scowl. It was more worry than anything else though, she could see it now. He was worried that she'd been in there to see something he'd rather her not. The thing was she wasn't sure which of the things she had seen that he was worried about: the beating he had given Randall, his avenging attitude toward Ashley and Mandy, or the fact that he'd implied not only that everyone here was part of his group but everyone at the Halverson farm. Those statements had meant to be kept between himself, his brother, and the boy that would be dead in a very short time.

"Long enough." The response was cliché and more than a little overused but Grace couldn't think of anything better to say. Carefully she stood, sliding the gun back into her waistband, feeling very much like a child for having taken it out.

"Ya were suppose'ta be in tha house." Daryl mumbled, eyes searching the ground and the tips of his boots.

"Rick and Shane tried to stop me but have you ever known me to do what I'm supposed to."

"S'how she ended up wit' yer sorry ass." Merle gripped his brother's shoulder, gave him a little shake and shoved him towards Grace. Daryl took a few shaky steps forward and managed to catch himself before stumbling right into her.

"Ya weren't supposed ta hear that," nervously Daryl sucked the inside of his cheek, looking up at Grace through his lashes, waiting for her to reject him, to turn what he'd done against him, to turn him down and walk away.

Gently she slid her hand down to pull his out from behind his back. His knuckles were bruised and split open in more than a couple of places from beating on the kid. She brushed a gentle finger along one of the deeper cuts. Daryl flinched, more at the contact than the pain from his injuries. "We've gotta clean these out. God only knows what sort of bacteria he's got growing on him." It was easier if she ignored Daryl's reservations. He had nothing to be ashamed of. If anything he should be proud for taking care of the group and stepping in where no one else was willing. Even Shane, who was forever talking about taking care of business, hadn't stepped in to help get the information they needed from Randall.

"S'fine," he pulled his hand back, crossing his arms and sticking his hands in his armpits to hide the injuries. "Gotta go tell Rick what we found out."

Smiling at him, Grace shook her head. "It can wait," she leaned up and pressed a timid kiss on the lip he was busy chewing. "We'll get you cleaned up first." Behind his brother, Merle was busy locking up the shed and trying to get out of the way as soon as possible. Grace threw him a stern look over his brother's shoulder. "And you too. I bet yours are just as bad as his are. Soap and water at least. You don't have to wrap them if you don't want to."

"Come on, Gracie!" Merle protested. "Ain't nothin' broken." He held up his hands in demonstration, stretching out his fingers and showing off the blood running down his knuckles.

Grace just raised a warning finger. "None of that. You best be letting me take care of my family," she mocked him with a smirk.

Merle's expression transformed from incredulous to amused. He nodded, a slight smile twisting up the corner of his mouth, "Yes ma'am."

* * *

The group was gathered around the cook fires and having breakfast when Grace and the Dixons got back. The tents had been all taken down but there wasn't enough room for them all to eat inside, no matter how risky it was with so many fires burning. Everyone looked up the moment they approached. Like Carol had said, they knew what was happening but it was better to pretend that Daryl and Merle had sat down and politely asked Randall some non-invasive questions about his group.

The boys both went over to Rick and Shane to talk about what they had found out. Everyone was listening in though, waiting to find out the details.

"S'tha same group." Merle hissed, trying to keep his back to the eavesdroppers. "One who went after them girls."

"You're sure of it?"

"Damn sure. He spouted tha' off by himself. Stupid little fucker."

Daryl nodded in agreement with his brother. "Boy says they got thirty men an' they're armed, heavy artillery. Ain't lookin' ta make friends."

A nervous chatter broke out among the group, some of them looking at the Dixons, some at Grace. Carol caught her eye and Grace just shook her head. It wasn't good news, no matter how they looked at it. If they ran into this group, it wouldn't be a matter of polite conversation. People would end up dead on both sides.

Purposely Daryl looked around the group now, making it clear he was talking to everyone. "They roll through here, our men are dead… an' the women, the gonna wish they was."

Carol's eyes went wide, turning between Grace and Sophia. Grace just shook her head again. She didn't know. If they were looking for prisoners, Sophia was about the right age to be broken in and Beth and Claire might stand a chance but Carl could already pose too much of a threat and Jimmy was done for. The rest of them were fair game. If the other group was just looking to loot and pillage then none of them had even a little chance.

"No one goes near that guy." Rick announced to the group, seeming firm in his decision. Grace breathed a sigh of relief. They'd be through with Randall soon then. Once he was dead, the opportunity for the other group to be led back to them somehow shrunk.

Lori didn't seem to be catching on or maybe she was just more in denial than Grace had thought. "Rick, what are you going to do?"

Rick sighed, scrubbing at his cheek. "We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat."

His wife seemed panicked, "You're just going to kill him?"

In his best no nonsense voice, Rick answered, "It's settled. I'll do it today." He turned away from the group, walking off to the big barn. Dale followed. The whole time Rick and the Dixons had been talking, Dale had been looking horror stricken at the conversation taking place in front of him. Though it was impossible to make out the words, by his body language alone, it was easy to tell he wasn't happy with the choice being made. For a moment, Grace tried to put her feelings of vengeance and fear aside.

Maybe Randall hadn't been a participant or a willing participant. Maybe he was just a kid who'd gotten mixed up with bad people. Maybe he was just trying to survive like they were.

In the old world she might have advocated locking him up for life. A lifetime prison sentence for a young kid was enough of a punishment. This wasn't about punishing him for his crimes though. He was partly responsible for attacking at least two girls and their father and he was wholly responsible for lying to them. That was enough for her to say that he was a danger to them all. Rick was right; they had to get rid of the threat.

There was no guilt though. He hadn't admitted anything to them. Were he really innocent, would he not try to escape his old group? Would he not be thanking them and trying to show his remorse? He could have tried to use knowing Maggie to get an in with them. He could have warned them that his old group was full of terrible people. He could have told them about the attacks and that they were heavily armed, but instead he kept that information hidden. He had to know that this group was better than his last one. They'd saved him after all, pulled him off of the fence, fixed his leg, fed him, and helped him heal. They were willing to let him go.

An innocent man wouldn't act so guilty. He'd known though. All along he had known that he was going to try and get back to his old group. He was high on power and freedom. If he had ever once been a nice guy that part of him was long gone. They would never be able to trust him.

If they let him go they'd be allowing him to lead his group right back to where they were. How long would they have before he made it back to the farm? A day, two days tops after he found his group. Even if he didn't, Randall had proven himself willing to come up with elaborate threats. It was just one small step to start acting upon them. He'd come back and wait in the forest until he could catch someone alone. He could pick them off one by one on his own. Or maybe he'd find another group and lead them back here. No matter what, unless they could be sure he was out of the picture, they'd always be looking over their shoulders to make sure he hadn't come back.

"Ya okay?" Daryl nudged her shoulder and Grace gave a startled jump. "Sorry," the redneck muttered, seeming worried that he had startled her. "Ya don't look so well."

Grace reached up and rubbed at her eyes. She was tired of all of this bullshit of worrying about walkers and humans alike. She just wanted one day without imminent doom. "I'm fine." Daryl stared at her hard, as if trying to convince her to tell him what was going on. He looked painfully worried, as much so as when he had walked out of the shed and found out that she'd heard the entire conversation they had had with Randall. "I am."

Daryl snorted. His expression clearly showed he didn't think she was telling the truth. "Okay," he snipped sarcastically. She could almost hear the 'fine don't tell me'. Her mood cracked at his attitude and she reached to brush his bangs off his face.

"Your hair's too long."

"I's fine." He repeated mockingly, turning his head away from his fingers.

"You need a haircut," Stepping forward to invade his space further, Grace properly ran her fingers through his hair. "Unless you like it this long.

He squinted at the contact, swiftly catching her hand, stilling it. "Yer jus' makin' it worse by messin' wit' it." Turning toward her hand, he kissed her palm and then dropped it down to her side. "Le's get outta here, 'kay?"

She nodded. The last thing she wanted to be around was the moment Rick got far enough away for the group to burst into flurried conversation about Randall. Her mind was set and there was nothing that anyone could say about it that would do anything but piss her off.

* * *

Daryl and Grace walked quietly together along the outskirts of the property, just along the treeline. It was quiet the farther they got from camp, away from all the hustle and bustle. There was no drama this far out; no reminders of everything that had happened. It was easy to just pretend that they were out walking the back roads back home, having pulled the truck over, and just gotten out to see where walking would take them. Hershel's property was beautiful. Had he not been so picky about guests and the end of the world not put a stop to holidays, she would have suggested he start some sort of bed and breakfast. People would have paid good money to pretend to be country folk for a weekend.

When they reached the southern pasture near the duck pond, they skirted silently around the Greene family, Claire and Jimmy who were herding loose cattle back to the main barn. There was a sizable hole in one of the fences and Grace could only suspect that something had startled the cows and they had run headlong into it to break free. They were skittish animals, all of the animals on the farm seemed to sense that the weather was getting colder and that the threat was getting higher.

"Do you think they saw something?"

"Like what?" Daryl grumbled, squeezing her fingers tighter. He'd taken her hand when they walked past the old barn and hadn't let go. The simple action had formed a warm ball of comfort in her stomach that continued to give her butterflies the longer he allowed the contact. It was protective sure, he didn't want to think of when the building had been full of walkers and they were nearly overrun, but it was also possessive. Anyone who saw them, even at a distance, would know they were together. Not just good friends or fuck buddies, an actual for real couple.

How many times had she wondered what he would do if she took his hand one night at the bar or when they were out around town? She'd never done more than play with his fingers as they lay together in bed or reached across the middle seat in the truck. Sometimes if she was lucky, he was horny and they were sitting together with a table between them and anyone else he'd run his fingers against her thigh. Here they were now, practically parading around for the whole world to see, or at least the majority of people who mattered to them. Daryl had never held her hand if it wasn't for a good reason.

"Maybe a walker." Grace shrugged, swinging their hands lightly in the cool air. It was comfortable today. No need for a jacket yet but they weren't sweating to death either. Maybe that was a sign that they were on the right track and everything would work out from here on out.

"Don'cha think if there were a walker runnin' 'round then someone woulda seen it."

"Well they don't really run. Maybe it snuck up on the fence in the dark, scared the cattle and then followed them when they bolted. It wouldn't have been able to catch one so it could have lost interest." She shrugged again. "Just thinking out loud."

"Could be," Daryl squinted into the trees, searching out for movement in the shadows. "Anything could stumble on this place. Hell, they found the quarry didn' they? An' I ran inta a few of 'em when I was in the middle uh fuckin' nowhere laying in some random stream. Would make sense if one uh them were what scared them cows."

"Stop staring so hard." She had to laugh at him, he was glaring at the trees like the plant life was going to jump out and bite them. "I'm sure if something were running around in the trees we'd have noticed it."

"Like tha'?" He raised the hand that wasn't holding hers, pointing towards two small shapes half hidden by the trees. From where they were standing it was easy to make out Rick's sherriff's hat perched on top of Carl's head and Sophia's blonde locks. "Stupid fuckin' kids." Daryl grumbled, turned to stalk after them. "Who's s'ppose ta be watchin' 'em?"

Grace hurried with him, distracted entirely by the two preteens being out on their own. "I don't know. Carol and Lori were both cleaning up breakfast, Rick's handling the Randall nonsense, Claire is with the Greenes, and I'm here. That's pretty much everyone who usually keeps an eye on them."

"Bet'cha e'eryone else thinks someone else got 'em. I outta hide 'em both. Take 'em right over my knee."

"That won't solve anything. We'll bring them back to their parents and let Lori screech at them for a while. Much better punishment." Grace felt herself smirking and Daryl gave out a snort of agreeing laughter.

"D'ya really want to be tha' mean to 'em?" Daryl chuckled, shaking his head with a raised eyebrow.

Grace laughed back, "No, but Carl will panic if he even thinks his mom will find out. We'll tell Rick and Carol. That'll be embarrassing enough for the both of them."

Smirking now, Daryl gave her fingers a squeeze of agreement and a small tug to get them going again. He didn't drop them though. Rick was right in his own way, this farm had been a miracle for them.

The two children were completely engrossed in what they were doing to be aware of the adults approaching them. Carl hunched over, clutching something in his hands that he turned over as he showed it off proudly to Sophia. For her part, the little girl looked more nervous as she crouched in the grass next to Carl. As the got closer, Daryl put a finger to his lips and Grace nodded. The only way to drive their point home was to scare the piss out of the children and surprise them. The way they had their back turned and were hiding, anyone or anything could have snuck up on them.

It wasn't until Grace and Daryl were a few feet away that Daryl sucked in a breath and hollered, "HEY!"

Sophia shrieked and toppled right over, falling onto her backside, and landing hard in the dirt. Immediately she began to scramble backwards until she looked up and saw who it was. Daryl had dropped Grace's hand and reached out to grab Carl's collar when the boy spun around, gun clutched between his fingers and whole body trembling.

"Daryl?" He huffed, panting with the adrenaline coursing through his tiny frame.

"Where'd ya get the gun, kid?"

Carl spluttered and Sophia blushed brightly. "He took it!" She blurted out and her friend scowled at her.

"I borrowed it," Carl amended. "Was gonna put it back."

Daryl reached down and snatched the weapon out of the boys hands. He turned it over a few times, checking the weight and examining it carefully. "Ya took this offa Merle's bike. I's his gun." Nervously the boys swallowed and nodded. "I oughtta march ya right over ta him an' let him deal wit' ya."

"No-no! Please don't, Merle'll kill us! Please!" Carl squirmed under Daryl's hand and Grace fought back a grin as Daryl pretended to consider the begging for a moment.

"A'right. But ya best start explainin' real quick jus' wha' it is ya'll are doin' out here."

Sophia started crying, big gasping sobs, "It's all my fault. I wanted to go for a walk. Momma's got these white flowers and I was gonna try and find some so Carl said he'd come with me. We were just going down to the creek, promise. I didn't know he took the gun from your brother, Mr. Daryl. I promise I didn't! He said it was his."

Carl hung his head, bottom lip stuck out in a scowling pout. "I was just borrowing it." He scuffed his foot in the dirt. "Sophia needed someone to protect her. Mom took mine after practice and made Dad put it back in the gun bag. I'm old enough though! I can shoot."

"'Course ya can shoot." Daryl snorted. "Ain't hard ta pull the trigger. Ask Andrea. She could shoot too." He lifted up the fringe of hair on his forehead that covered his half-healed gunshot scrap. "Shot me right in the head."

The boy swallowed, "I wouldn'ta done that."

"She didn't mean to either, Carl." Grace stepped in. "She was trying to protect the farm, just like you're trying to protect Sophia. The problem is, guns don't have brains. They just hit whatever you point them at. You're the one with the brain. You could have shot Daryl or me or even Sophia, and it would have been an accident, just like Andrea shooting Daryl was an accident. But accidents can kill." Sophia was still crying and Grace couldn't help but step over to her and pull her into a hug. "What you both did was stupid. No one even knows you're out here. Anything could have happened."

"I'm sorry." Carl mumbled, sniffing and rubbing the back of his hand under his nose.

"Don' jus' say ya are, be sorry." Daryl slid the gun under his shirt and into his waistband. "Come on. Yer both goin' back ta yer folks."

Both children started to panic again at that, Carl especially begging and pleading as Daryl turned him by the shoulder and pushed him back towards the farm. They saw Carol first and Daryl left Grace with Sophia and her mother as he hauled off the boy, who had finally quieted and was dragging his feet in the dirt as if they were planning his execution for tonight instead of Randall's.

"You're lucky someone didn't get hurt." Carol shook her head at her daughter. "I'm very disappointed."

"Sorry, Momma." Sophia licked her lips. "It won't happen again, I promise."

"It had better not." Carol was frowning deeply but she looked far more worried to Grace than angry. "What do you say to Grace for having to bring you back all this way."

"Sorry, Grace."

"Just don't do it again, hun." Grace pressed her lips together. "There's more than just walkers out there and I don't want you getting hurt."

Carol sighed and turned her daughter towards the house. "You can come with me and get the laundry now. I'm sure Lori wouldn't mind if I took you and Carl to scrub clothes. T-Dog's going with us." She added as an afterthought when she caught Grace's questioning look.

"Daryl went to take Carl to Rick." Grace corrected. "I think the both of them could use some chores until they learn a little bit of responsibility."

"I do too." Carol gave the girl a stern look. "There will be no more running around and getting herself into trouble. Sophia can help out around camp just like everyone else. Now go," she pointed at the front porch, "into the house and go get your things. You've got five minutes and you do not step off that porch until I say so. I'm going to go get Carl from his father. Rick and Lori have enough on their plate right now without you two running off playing soldier."

* * *

Rick told them that Daryl had gone off to find his brother. Rick was busy trying to figure out the best way to get rid of Randall and he happily passed Carl off to Carol, telling the woman that Carl was willing to do anything he needed to do to make amends for his stupidity. Carl and Sophia dragged their feet as they followed Carol. Both were carrying baskets of laundry. Carol had asked if Grace wanted to come with them but Grace insisted that she was fine going to find Daryl and Merle.

She'd waved them off and headed in the opposite direction, up towards the ruined chimney that the brothers had first set their tents up at. They would be there. Talking quietly together about what was going on, figuring their own way they thought that it should be taken care of. She and Daryl hadn't eaten breakfast so when she got him they could go get some food. There would be something in the house, maybe even enough for his brother to tag along.

Across the grass a figure moved towards her, the white hair and bucket hat not belonging to either of the brothers. "Hello Grace."

"Dale." She tightened her lips. Dale was one of the last people she wanted to see or hear from right now. The only thing more off-putting would have been Randall himself strolling around the farm.

"I was just talking with Daryl and Merle."

"That's where I'm heading."

"I figured as much. Do you have a minute though? Won't take long, I promise." The old man stood like a little tin soldier, a rifle over one shoulder and his back stiff. Grace had never seen Dale carry a gun and she was already uncomfortable with his personal mission of saving Randall's life.

She shook her head, trying to move past him without causing a scene. "Not really, Dale. Haven't eaten breakfast and I'd like to make sure the boys have something before it gets too late in the day. You know how they are."

Dale nodded wisely. "They're good men. Both of them." He gave her a serious look as if trying to point out how compassionate he was being, how much of a chance he was giving both of the Dixons and that she should be giving Randall the same chance.

"They are and I'd rather not having them starving for the good of the group. So, if you'll excuse me."

"He's just a kid." Dale called after her as she started to storm away. "He made a mistake running into the wrong people but that's no reason to kill him."

Grace felt her eyes widen, her shock clear on her features. She spun around quickly, voice raised, counting off Randall's crimes on her fingers. "He's threatened us Dale. And he lied about his group. He's lied several times about things that would have made us trust him more, not less. If he would have been honest, maybe I'd give him a chance but he lied right to our faces. We sheltered him and fed him. There was no reason to distrust us."

"Randall is a human being. People make mistakes Grace. We've been through a lot, all of us. I'm sure you can find it somewhere in your heart to allow the boy a chance to prove himself."

She felt the first few tears before she even knew they were falling. "Screw you, Dale. He helped rape those girls and if he wasn't an active or willing participant then he sure didn't come clean about it when he was in a safe environment. I sat outside that shed and listened to him lie even while they were giving him chance after chance. He's not the innocent kid you seem to think he is. I sat with those girls long enough to know that the people who touched them are monsters. We've got Claire and Beth who are almost the same age as those girls, Carl's barely supervised and he takes Sophia out with him, and we both know Jimmy wouldn't stand a chance against them. We almost lost Sophia once to walkers. Do you really want to let some sick in the head bastard lead his perverted friends back here? We wouldn't survive it. Then there's the group with Etta, she's got a full house of babies over there too. You might not want to lose your humanity, you might think this group is better than killing a man but that's bullshit." Furiously she scrubbed at her face. "If he'd even done one little thing differently then maybe my answer would be different but I hope to God they kill him tonight just so I don't have to wake-up another morning worrying about him."

Dale stood stock still as he looked at her with a pained expression. "I didn't know you felt like that about Randall. You sat with him. You fed him."

"That doesn't mean I don't hate him. I'm not a cruel person, I'm not saying that we torture every last piece of information out of him and starve him to death. I'm just saying that we need to get rid of the threat he's posing to this group. There's no prison, Dale. We've got to get rid of him somehow and a quick death is the best way to do it."

"But you do feel that he might…"

"This conversation is over," Grace snapped, throwing her hands up and heading straight for the chimney. If she got anywhere near there and Dale was still bothering her, both Dixons would crack him in half. Dale seemed to realize this and he hung back. She didn't look back as she stormed the rest of the way to where Daryl and Merle were. She was furious and frustrated that Dale seemed to be campaigning to save the bastard that wanted them all dead.

* * *

Grace didn't go into the house until the last minute. She didn't want to hear Dale moping or whining over Randall and his impending execution. Her mind was beyond made up. As Rick spoke, she snuggled back into Daryl's arms as they leaned on the farthest side of the room from everyone. Daryl was more comfortable over here anyway and it kept them out of anyone else's direct line of sight. She'd know for sure if someone was looking at her because they would have to do it on purpose.

"We'll see where everyone stands." Rick was saying, standing in the middle of the room, and somehow facing everyone at once. "Then we can talk through the options."

Shane had his thumbs hooked through his belt loops, "The way I see it there's only one way to move forward."

"Killing him, right?" Dale was practically shouting at everyone in the room. "Why even bother taking a vote? It's clear which way the wind blows."

Grace couldn't believe him. After everything she'd mentioned that afternoon, after all the reasons she'd given for why the old way wasn't going to work any more, how could he still be so stuck on keeping Randall alive? Grace could admit that it wasn't fair he had to die when they weren't sure of proof and there was no guarantee but there were a lot of clues to what this guy was like. They weren't just making shit up, he was a real threat!

She must have tensed because Daryl drew his hands up, rubbing the tops of her arms, whispering "shhh" in her ear.

Across the room, Rick dropped his hands to the chair in front of him, bracing himself. "Well if people believe we should spare him, I want to know." Their leader looked up, glancing around the room, waiting for someone to say something.

"Well it's a small group. Maybe just me and Glenn."

"Look," Glenn hung his head, twisting his hat between his hands. "I think you're pretty much right about everything all the time – but this…"

"They've got you scared!" Dale threw his hands up, stepping toward the Korean.

Glenn held his own, "He's not one of us and we've, we've lost too many people already."

"How about you? Do you agree with this?" Dale pointed across the room at Maggie and her father. Hershel was refusing to look up but Maggie had stood and crossed her arms nervously.

"Dale," Grace found herself hissing out, "You need to stop. It's not as black and white as you make it out to be and you know that. Tell me there's one person in this room whose life you'd be willing to trade for Randall's. Tell me that you'd be willing to risk any one of those kids sitting upstairs to give this kid a chance that we're sure he's going to screw up. He's not just some hard done by guy we found on the road. He admitted to being there for a ridiculously vicious attack that ended with three people left for dead, two of those were teenage girls who were repeatedly raped and worse. Do I need to go into details?"

"I think everyone is well aware of the risks associated with keeping Randall at this point." Rick raised his hands in defence. "We don't want him here."

"Even if you let him go, he'll find a map. Find his way back here and you and I both know, Rick. He won't be alone. You talked to his men in the bar. I've talked with the girls about what happened to them. We're not inviting these guys over for afternoon tea. If he doesn't get taken care of in a way that makes us sure he's not coming back, then I'm not going to be here when he shows up on his doorstep."

"You'd leave?"

"Yeah," It was Merle who spoke up, for once not boasting about his opinion. "if Gracie wants to go then Daryl and I walk wit' her. We take our girl, our gear and we hit tha road. Invitation is open for anyone with the good sense ta get the hell outta Dodge."

Rick looked just over Grace's shoulder and Daryl nodded back to him. "Wha' muh brother said."

"So that's three votes for kill him. Do it quick and clean but either he goes or we do." Grace slipped herself out of Daryl's arms, heading for the door. "You can fight amongst yourselves about it." Behind her, following her outside, was the echo of two sets of boots.


End file.
